


Bad Judgment Call

by ReadWithDetermination



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underswap (Undertale), Angst and Drama, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Audio Content, BAMF Blue, But an Understanding Bastard, Canon-Typical Violence, Chara (Undertale) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Chara Needs a Hug, Edge needs a hug, Forgiveness, Frisk (Undertale) Is a Sweetheart, Heavy Angst, Humiliation, M/M, Making Up, Misunderstandings, Moral Lessons, Not Really Character Death, Overprotective Brother Papyrus, Pacifist Frisk (Undertale), Prejudice, Reconciliation, Red Needs a Hug, Red's a Bastard, Swearing, This Whole Cast Needs a Hug, Underfell Papyrus (Undertale), Underfell Sans (Undertale), Underswap Papyrus (Undertale), Underswap Sans (Undertale), as a bonus, broken trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:55:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 26,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21915613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReadWithDetermination/pseuds/ReadWithDetermination
Summary: Stretch (US!Papyrus) has always been a "live and let live" sort of monster.  When two of their mirrored selves show up one day, he's willing to play nice, despite their counterparts' ominous levels of LV.  So long as his brother is happy, he's willing to try to get along with his new neighbors.That is, until one day he comes across his brother's scarf covered in what looks like dust.One horrible misunderstanding later, and Stretch is left trying to fix the fledgling bonds the Underfell Brothers were just beginning to make with his family.
Relationships: Papyrus & Sans (Undertale), Sans/Sans (Undertale)
Comments: 112
Kudos: 74





	1. CHAPTER ONE:  "It's Not What It Looks Like"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stretch is worried about his brother hanging out with the two newcomers to his universe.  
> Blue thinks he's being too judgmental.
> 
> But...is he really?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love my warm fuzzies, but now, to try my hand at some excruciatingly heart-wrenching angst caused by misunderstandings!  
> (I promise a happy ending.)

CHAPTER ONE: "It's Not What It Looks Like"  
\-------------------

Stretch's motto in life was "live and let live".

Actually, it was more akin to "Meh", because the Papyrus of Underswap was quite the easy-going fellow who preferred to save his energy for the more important things in life: going to Muffet's, doing what he couldn't get away with not doing on his jobs, eating his brother's tacos, naps.

His brother, Sans - nicknamed Blue for his penchant for wearing said color, as well as his big constant starry eyelights - often proclaimed (in a volume reserved for movie theaters) that Stretch was very lazy and unmotivated. Stretch would agree there was some truth to that. After all, why work hard when you could relax and get the same amount of work done?

Although, he had to admit, he had been working a lot lately. Even if he really didn't do much while on patrol or sitting at a sentry station (he took far fewer naps there than Blue thought he did, but it was always fun to rile his big bro up by putting on a pretend snoozing face), there was his other job as a corn dog vendor. And, of course, his far lesser-known job as Queen Toriel's Judge. The duties of that job left a bitter taste in his mouth, but it was thankfully one he wasn't called upon very often to do.

Oh, for a while, he thought he might be, though.

He knew about the humans' ability to Reset, after all. 

They'd made some mistakes. The first few times, accidents had happened. They'd gotten scared. They'd...done some very stupid things. A few monsters had been dusted. Stretch had seen a wild look in Chara's eyes once, but once they'd pulled out of it, they'd flown into a rage at themselves, shouting "No" and raging against what seemed to be some internal demon before drawing upon their ability to set things back to Square One.

Frisk had explained it to him. Chara had been through a lot, more than even the older child would tell Frisk, and it had done things to their mind. Their psyche was warped, but they were trying, and that meant they made "mistakes".

Big, dusting-monsters sorta "mistakes".

But they Reset.

Chara personally apologized - albeit begrudgingly and with a great deal of pauses - to Stretch. Something about knowing Stretch remembered the Resets due to process of elimination, seeing as how his "role" was the one that always played the Judge to their sins in the other universe.

Yeah, that was another new one: the alternate universes.

Alternate universes with other _hims_ in them.

He was still trying to wrap his head around THAT one.

He never actually expected to see any of his own counterparts, let alone any of his brother, but he shouldn't have been surprised when the softly smiling Frisk showed up on his doorstep one day with two red-clad and very bedraggled monsters that looked like warped versions of the Underswap brothers. 

Seeing as both sets of brothers shared the same names, they were quickly nicknamed "Edge" and "Red" to keep things from getting confusing.

Edge was all sharp angles and sharp looks, with an equally sharp tongue to complete the whole spiny package. However, Stretch quickly noticed that, deep inside the post-apocalyptic drill sergeant, he was just like a porcupine - at least, when it came to his brother and the two children. Sure, he barked out orders and insults in a manner not unakin to a hyperactive Chihuahua, but he always seemed to be hovering nearby when other monsters were around "his" people, turning sour looks on them like a hawk.

Or, rather, a mother hen. Certainly, he tried to cover it up somewhat, but Stretch saw the edgier skeleton fall into more of mock-meanness when it came to playing with the two humans - for example, congratulating Frisk in a dramatic manner for winning a game against him and curtly praising Chara during their training sessions.

As for his brother's mirror self...

Red was slightly larger than Blue, stockier built and far more given to sitting around than Blue ever was. At least, for a while. His brother had a tendency to get people up and moving whether they wanted to or not, and it wasn't long before Stretch started seeing a flash of maniacally chortling Blue running past dragging an exasperated Red out the door with him.

(Edge had tried to stop them _once_ because of the rather sheepish "boss, help me!" Red had yelled out, but a staying hand and reassuring smile from Frisk was all it took for Blue to continue with his "playdate" uninterrupted.)

Despite Frisk telling Stretch his own universe had been good for the two Fell Brothers, Edge's way around the children, and Blue's willingness to take up with Red, Stretch couldn't completely trust them.

Edge and Red had accumulated LV. And ominous levels, at that.

Stretch had done the math the first time he CHECKed them. Five kills to Red's name, and at least ten to Edge. Logically, he knew they had come from a universe where it was kill or be killed, so making it through with soul unscathed had been highly unlikely. There were a lot of ways for monsters to gain EXP to reach that point. Self-defense was the most probable. For Edge, a member of the Royal Guard back in Underfell, it was likely some of his came from ordered executions or even protecting other monsters.

But the voice in the back of Stretch's mind nagged him...

" _weak monsters, even ones in stripes, weren't safe. if you got caught alone, or off-guard, well, buddy...you were practically free EXP._ "

Stretch couldn't help but wonder if Red's words were a confession of his own sins.

So, he had to be a bit more lively in keeping up with his new neighbors.

He'd tried telling Blue to be careful around them, seeing as how Blue was a lot more unabashedly optimistic (and more naive) than either of the two children. Of course, Blue said he would, but also said that there was more to Red and Edge than Stretch gave them credit for. 

" _yeah, buddy, i ain't done nothing wrong. me and blue are getting to be great pals. ain't we, blue?_ " Red had said before slinging one of his large, bony arms over Blue's shoulders, much to the delight of the energetic skeleton. The cocksure grin Red flashed him, the ceiling lights glinting off his golden tooth made him seem almost like a villain from one of the anime Alphys had loaned Blue. Stretch wasn't sure if he was doing that to troll Stretch over his overprotectiveness or because he was actually manipulating Stretch's brother.

Stretch wasn't sure about the exact reasons behind _how_ they were there, but the _why_ of it boiled down to ol' Frisky Bits pretty much reverse adopting the two intimidating skeletons. And, as sharp-tongued as Edge was and as gruff and infuriating as Red was, it was obvious both brothers were wrapped around Frisk's fleshy little finger. They were like two skeletal guard dogs being led around by this tiny smiling child.

Stretch sighed.

Maybe he WAS being too judgmental.

After all, despite the hangups they had from the other universe, Edge was willing to make up for whenever he overstepped his bounds. Red, did, too...sometimes.

Alright, perhaps it was a mixture of both their high LV _and_ the fact that Blue was very obviously coming down with a case of STRONG FEELINGS for the gruff skeleton that was setting Stretch off.

Blue was his brother. No, Blue was more than that. He was Stretch's best friend, his confidante, and his only remaining family. His natural exuberance was the closest thing the Underground had to sunshine, and anyone who thought otherwise simply hadn't been exposed to the hyperactive, hyper-helpful ball of joy that was his bro. Being able to see his brother happy and striving toward his goals, making friends, and enjoying life gave Stretch a reason to get out of bed every day. They'd been together so long that Stretch couldn't imagine a time where they wouldn't be.

So if Stretch was a little jealous on top of having a healthy dose of caution for who Blue was spending time with, then who could fault him?

Blue was...all he had.

Still, his brother, while optimistically naive, did usually have a good judge of character and a knack for worming his way into anyone's heart 

...Okay, maybe it was more like knocking down a wall to someone's heart's house like that red drink mascot from some old human commercials he found on one of those tapes at the dump. 

Regardless, Blue was a grown monster and Stretch knew he had to let go sometime. He couldn't very well tag along to his brother's eventual _honeymoon_. 

Stretch slapped a hand over his face and groaned.

"I'm going to give myself nightmares," he thought, shuddering. Yeah, no, he and his bro may have been close, but there were some things he really didn't need to know. Or find out. Ever.

So maybe he could lengthen the leash he had his brother on.

A little.

After all, he wouldn't want his brother falling out of a tree during the middle of a quiet talk he was having with his own love interest (Stretch took naps! Why was it so farfetched to believe he'd been taking a nap in that particular tree? The fact that Red and Blue just happened to sit down under it and Red may have been getting a little too close for Stretch's comfort to his bro had NOTHING to do with that branch breaking and Stretch belly-flopping into the snow!).

He took a drag from his cigarette and let the smoke curl out in a wispy puff. "Maybe Blue's right. Maybe I am being too judgmental," he thought aloud. Certainly, Red rubbed him the wrong way sometimes, but he did have a few redeeming qualities. He was good with the humans, told some puns that had Stretch laughing to spite himself, and liked naps. Surely, a guy who liked naps couldn't be all bad!

...Right?

Heaving a sigh, Stretch slowly began his march homeward from his corn dog stand at the entrance to Waterfall. Maybe he just needed to be around Red more often. That was difficult, seeing as how most of Red's time was monopolized by either Blue or the humans, but he'd figure something out. Wasn't there an old adage about catching more flies with vinegar than honey?

"...I do like honey," Stretch said to himself. 

The snow crunched under his feet as he headed back to Snowdin. It was a path he had taken most every day ever since he and Blue had relocated to the tiny wintry village. Above him, far up in the cavernous reaches of the Underground, the rock that made up the ceiling of the monsters' prison cell was black as pitch from the distance from any light source. Still, the snow on the ground lit up like it was an overcast winter evening (or so Chara told him), all thanks to the magic imbued within it. The white powder stretched for miles, a blanket pockmarked by spindly conifers and dark evergreens that looked gray up close but seemed to turn blue far out in the distance. 

Such a picture of white-gray-blue-black was the norm. It meant home.

Every now and then, however, the tranquil landscape would be broken by movement of some sorts. Most often, it was the flow of the large ice chunks floating down the river. Other times, it might be a fellow monster either out for a stroll or on patrol for the Royal Guard. Every now and then, perhaps one of the rare types of wildlife would appear. Stretch did enjoy watching the little mice that occasionally ventured out to roll about and play in the snow.

But this time, it was none of those that caught Stretch's eye.

Instead, it was something _blue_.

At first, Stretch didn't know what it was he was seeing: just a swath of cobalt lying in the road up ahead. Upon walking closer, however, the shade of Blue became _very_ familiar. In fact, it looked a lot like the scarf he'd given his brother as part of the "battle body" outfit he made for when Blue first started training to join the Royal Guard...

Had Blue dropped his scarf?

That was strange, though, because Blue seldom ever took off his scarf. He loved that thing too much, had proclaimed it the "trademark of a hero" the moment Stretch presented him with it. Sometimes, he'd even sleep in it!

Why would it be here?

Stretch glanced around but didn't see or hear his brother.

An ominous feeling started to well up within him.

Blue. Without his scarf.

Stretch pulled his phone out and looked down at it. He hadn't received any messages from his brother since a couple of hours ago. Alphys, Blue, and both of the human children were supposed to be at the Fell Brothers' house. Chara had a training session today, and Frisk and Red were there to basically make sure nothing got caught on fire - or, if it did, to make sure everyone safely vacated the premises. 

So why would Blue's scarf be all the way on the other side of town?

An ominous feeling welled up within Stretch's soul. If Blue had lost his scarf, he would have been blowing up Stretch's phone to find it, especially if he had lost it so close to one of Stretch's stands. Stretch began to walk faster, closing in on the blue material lying in the snow. The ominous feeling increased, making his breaths come faster as it felt like the very breath was being squeezed out of his non-existent lungs.

Was Blue alright? Where was he? Where was his bro-?

Stretch didn't realize he'd stopped moving, but the instant he saw what was on the scarf, he froze:

There, streaked across the cloth as if it had been dragged through it, was a great mass of white powder.

Stretch's cigarette fell from his mouth.

' _No_ ,' he thought, ' _there's no way that can be what I think that is. That has to be snow or grated cheese or...or something! That...that couldn't be...CAN'T be...!_ '

Stretch reached down and picked up the scarf.

As the fabric slowly rose into the air, the white powdery substance fell away, blowing off into the breeze until it vanished into the blanket below.

Not snow.

 ** _Dust_**.

Stretch couldn't breathe. Couldn't hear. Couldn't think.

No, no, no, no, no! This wasn't right. This couldn't be dust! Not here, not on Blue's scarf!

He yanked the cloth taut between his hands, inspecting it, feeling as though he might be sick. He'd seen the human dust monsters before. While he hadn't gotten up close and personal enough to inspect the texture and exact fall pattern, this was...oh stars, it was on _his brother's scarf_!

' _Not Blue_ ,' his mind screamed. Anything but that! No, this had to be some sort of mistake! This couldn't be his brother's...!

Stretch nearly dropped his phone he was shaking so hard, but he quickly managed to find Blue's contact and dial it. The phone rang in his ear, with every unanswered ring punctuated by another stab of fear to his soul.

Finally, on the eighth ring, right when Stretch thought he might scream, a voice picked up:

" _Heya, Stretch! How goes it?_ "

Not his brother, then. Stretch checked to make sure he had the right contact. He did.

"Alphys?! Is Blue there?"

He did not like the answer he got.

" _Nah, looks like he forgot his phone here, though._ "

"Can you tell me where he is?"

" _I'm not sure. He left with Red about thirty minutes ago, headed your way, actually. Why? Is something wrong? Stretch? Stretch? Hey, Stretch, are you there?_ "

Alphys' words fell like a death knell, striking Stretch so hard it felt like all of the air had been knocked out of him. His eyes bugged out, his eye sockets widened to painful proportions, and he started to hyperventilate.

No, not his brother...not Blue! Not-

He was running before he knew what he was doing. That couldn't be Blue's dust on his scarf. There was no way! No matter how many times Chara had screwed up before past Resets, the human had never once laid a finger on Blue. Chara?

" _PAPYRUS!_ "

The use of his original name brought him back to reality, if only barely. "Alphys," Stretch panted out, "is Chara with you? Is Frisk?" He needed to rule out the humans. 

" _Yeah, Chara and Frisk are right here. So's Edge. What's going on? Why do you sound so freaked out? Where's your brother?_ "

"I don't know, I don't know! Scarf...found...his scarf...Blue...Sans...SANS!!!"

" _Paps, where are you?_ " Stretch barely registered the concern in her voice, or the worried voices in the background of the phone call. He caught Edge's loud demands to see the phone and thought he heard Red's name mentioned, but he wasn't sure. Stretch told her where he was - or at least, he attempted to. His panic was quickly winning out and his words weren't helping much. 

" _I've got signal on his location_ ," he heard. Edge, he realized.

" _Stretch?_ " Alphys spoke up. " _I'm not sure what's going on, but Edge has your phone's location pinged on his cell, so we're headed toward you. Stay with me! We are on our way!_ "

It was then that, during his mad dash, that Stretch's eyes happened to catch sight of something as he was scanning the treeline for any sign that his brother wasn't dust on a scarf. 

Red.

Stretch immediately changed course, almost skidding in the snow as he darted off the path and into the trees toward his brother's counterpart.

The first thing he noticed was that Red was chasing a large fluffy white dog. Or the dog was chasing him? It was hard to tell due to the back-and-forth between the two. All he noticed was that as he neared, Red tried to pelt the dog with a snowball, only for the dog to dance away, its tongue lolling out of its mouth as if it were laughing. As soon as it noticed the commotion Stretch was making, however, he bolted off into the woods, leaving Red to slip in the snow as he tried to give chase.

"Red!"

The Underfell monster stopped in his tracks and turned toward Stretch, his expression one of shock. As Stretch stumbled in an attempt to slow himself before getting too close, he saw Red's shock morph into very nervous agitation.

"w-well, hey there, stretch! didn't expect to see you around these parts. you got a bone to pick with that dog, too?"

Stretch glanced around but didn't see his brother.

"Red, where's-"

That was when he saw it:

As Red stood up and brushed the snow off himself, Stretch's eyes honed in on the other skeleton's coat-

-and the long, powdery splotch of white punched into the blood red fabric.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I'm sure most of you are wondering how I could go from cute & fluffy romantic comedy to "OMG WHY YOU DO THIS?! D: " angst.  
> Well, I wanted to give angst and drama a try since I haven't done that in a very long time. 
> 
> Don't worry, I'm not actually killing off anyone! I couldn't even kill off Papyrus in Undertale, what makes you think I can do that to the Blueberry? XD  
> Nah, this is going to be focused more around having a really bad misunderstanding because Stretch was overprotective, and how he's going to make it up to the UF! boys. Maybe some romance. Lotta angst. Happy ending guaranteed.


	2. CHAPTER TWO:  "You Done Messed Up, Pal"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stretch confronts Red.  
> It gets ugly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also known as the chapter where "Stretch could have solved everything by just calming down and CHECKing Red's stats".  
> Prepare to feel very sorry for one character after this, folks.  
> *awkward sorry-not-sorry face*
> 
> Just a side note: in this story, Chara's basically on their own "redemption" path, so they've not gone full Genocide in Underswap. Can't really explain more without giving away part of the story.

CHAPTER TWO: "You Done Messed Up, Pal"  
———————

Dust.

On Blue's scarf.

On Red's coat.

Dust.

Dust.

Dust. 

Dust.

Dust.

Stretch couldn't feel anything. Whether it was for hours or but a moment, he knew not. Time itself seemed frozen as he became completely deafened to the sounds of the subterranean forest around him. Neither cold nor emotion nor the fact that his eyes were staring a hole through Red's coat registered to him. His senses fled him, and for a full soulbeat, nothing remained in his mind but that single word.

Dust.

_Blue's_ dust.

On Blue's scarf.

On Red's coat.

It couldn't be.

There was no way his brother could be dead. It was impossible. He was the Great and Magnificent Sans! He was the biggest ball of kindness and compassion that the Underground had ever seen. No one could hurt his brother. It was crazy. Not even the human, in all their mistakes, ever laid a hand on Blue. He was untouchable. He was the least deserving of any monster to...to be...

"hey, what'cha got there, stretch? is that-?"

Red's words barely registered to Stretch, but it made his eyes rise from the blotch of white on Red's coat to its owner's face.

This skeleton. This skeleton that Blue trusted, who he had worked so diligently to make him feel at home and help him better himself. The one Blue wanted Stretch to give a chance.

He had his chance.

Blue.

'blueblueBluEblUeBlueBlueBLueBlUeBlueblUEBLUEBLUE ** _BLUE_** -'

"hey, ain't that blue's scarf? where'd you find that? hey, stretch?"

Blue.

Was gone.

_This_ monster-

Stretch's eye flared with orange magic as he raised a hand toward Red. The other skeleton's sudden nervousness morphed into shock as Stretch's magic locked onto his soul, drawing him into an encounter. He could feel the strain on his magic as the other monster tried to get away, but he held firm. As a bone attack formed in his hand, he saw the eyelights wink out of Red's sockets and a look of dawning horror contort his features.

With the energy humming around him, his soul pulsed, the pressure building in his chest to the point the buzzing confusion of shock threatened to explode from the lack of room. Barely coherent enough to realize he was speaking, words tumbled out of him, soft and accusatory:

"What. Did you do. To My. Brother?"

The panicked claims of denial Red spat out hit Stretch like a sharp needle, busting open the rising tide of emotions. 

Knowing that he'd never see his brother's smiling face again...

Never hear his laughter, his excited chatter, or even his nagging...

To know Stretch would never again feel that energetic presence around him...

The gravity of the situation barreled into him with the force of an oncoming train, causing the heart-wrenching grief to crash through and leave him feeling like someone had torn a huge gaping hole right in the center of his soul. He heaved for air, almost unable to breathe and feeling like he was going to be sick. 

Then, just as suddenly, an unbridled rage overcame him, and he flung his arm out, flinging Red across the snow and into a tree. It wasn't enough to do any major damage, but with a righteous fire behind the attack and Red's own low HP, it was more than enough to scratch him. 

Still, Red had lived in that Underfell place, and whatever harsh conditioning he went through there wasn't enough to make him lose his wits completely. He came out of the slam with a leap and a roll, dodging away before a flurry of bones struck the place where he'd made impact. Instantly, Red sent out an array of red and white bone attacks of his own, but Stretch dodged them all with an ease even Stretch didn't realize he could muster.

Red heaved, one hand clamping over the back of his skull, and winced. "what are you doing?! what did i do now?"

"Dust!" Stretch practically shrieked, causing a batch of bones to spring up around Red in a flurry of bright blue. The Underfell monster froze for a split second until they descended before he blinked out in an attempt to escape. 

Unfortunately for him, Stretch could _also_ make use of the "shortcuts".

Red threw up a wall of red bones just in time to stop the bones swinging down toward his face. Stretch's rage wasn't a match for Red's bulk and fighting experience, so his lanky form was easily knocked aside. A few bones flew in his direction before Stretch teleported away, putting just enough distance between himself and Red that he could maneuver out of harm's way.

"what are you talking about, man? dust? whose dust?"

The stocky skeleton proved to be fairly nimble for his unassuming shape, and was able to dodge or deflect the other attacks Stretch kept throwing at him. "He trusted you!" Stretch shouted, managing to sneak a couple of orange attacks into a batch of blue ones. One glanced off Red's skull, and the other narrowly missed his side. 

"i don't know what the hell you're talking about, stretch!" Red shouted, obviously getting angry. The two of them teleported several more times, with Stretch having to take cover behind some trees for when some of Red's attacks surpassed his own.

"Dust," Stretch shouted at him, "all over Blue's scarf! All over _your_ coat!"

Red made a puzzled sound before glancing down at his coat. "that's not dust! that's-" he narrowly dodged another bone attack to the face, barely getting two of his own out in time to collide with and negate incoming ones. "-flour! blue and i-"

Stretch noticed a twinge of pain must have hit Red, because he let out a groan and gripped his head. The opening was enough, and Stretch sent out a wall of bones before he teleported behind Red. An instant later and Red was sent, once again, careening across the forest.

Red's eyelights wearily winked on, two tiny red pinpricks instantly turning to terrified slits as Stretch towered over him. He wavered a little as he tried to crawl backwards, as if the landing had dazed him. He started shouting Blue's name, panic rising in his voice, but Stretch was having none of it.

" _Don't say his name!_ " Stretch screeched.

Red nearly toppled over into the snow from flinching, letting out a pained hiss. He looked up at Stretch, shocked and horrified as Stretch brandished a bone in his face. 

"I never should have let you around Blue. He was so kind and helpful, but to you?" Stretch let out a laugh that came out more as a sob. "He was just free EXP. How long were you waiting to dust him, Red? Did you enjoy playing with my brother's feelings first? Is that how you play your game? Getting monsters to drop their guard and then stabbing them in the back?!"

Red looked more taken aback by that statement than when Stretch first attacked him. _An obvious reaction to his guilt_ , thought Stretch.

"stretch, i swear on my brother's life i would never hurt blue! hss..."

Red grabbed his head, obviously in pain, but Stretch didn't care. This monster had taken his world from him. Torn apart everything he had, and for what? Why? They were safe there! Why would they need any more EXP?

Looking down at the skeleton in the snow, Stretch realized it didn't matter.

"You, and your brother...you never belonged here," he told Red. "All we are is fuel for your growing LV, aren't we? That's all we ever were. Blue never should have trusted you. But that's okay..."

Stretch raised one arm, his eyelights now flickering between orange and yellow.

Bravery and justice.

The energy around him swelled, taking on a form of its own on each side of him. When Red looked back up, it was to see the gaping maws of two floating creature skulls staring him down. He started looking around frantically, calling names, shouting, _pleading_ for someone to help him.

But nobody came.

"...I won't let either of you hurt anyone else. Goodbye, Red."

Stretch could feel his blasters raise into the air. The whine of high-powered energy grew as magic collected in their maws, almost drowning out the attempts Red made to teleport. Blue's killer looked exhausted, and if Stretch had to fathom a guess, Red had probably expended too much of his magic.

Stretch looked down at him, hiccuping with barely restrained sobs as grief and rage and vengeance threatened to tear what little remained of his sanity into pieces. In that moment, his breath hitching and rushing through gritted teeth, his eyes wide and furious, he wondered if he looked as demented as Chara had that time he spotted them after their murderous rampage through Snowdin.

Fitting, he decided, for such a hollow victory as taking down his beloved brother's killer.

As he extended his arm toward Red's futile attempts to crawl away, two things immediately happened:

A wall of red bones rose up, blocking Red from his view, and an immense roar cut through the forest, whiting out everything in his sights. 

Stretch had just enough time to cover his eyes before he was knocked off his feet, bits of splintery debris raining down on him as the force of the attack sailed over his head, its residual energy bowling him over like the the fallout from an explosion. He shuffled around in the snow for a moment, rubbing his eyes, before he looked around. The remains of his blasters lay scattered around him in a macabre mosaic, with him as the centerpiece. They'd been destroyed! Blasted apart! But, by who?

He looked up, and his soul pulsed.

There, a blaster of his own summoned and looking 300% DONE, was _Blue_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed my attempt at writing sudden grief and a fight scene.
> 
> Comments are always welcome.


	3. CHAPTER THREE: "A Mistake Is Realized, And a Family Torn"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stretch learns Red was telling the truth, and the guilt settles in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here I go, making the Blueberry turn sour. This chapter is the reason I have to add a tag for swearing.  
> Stretch has apparently never heard what happens when you assume something...

CHAPTER THREE: "A Mistake Is Realized, And a Family Torn"  
———————

Stretch couldn't believe his eyes.

His brother...was alive?

Alive and in one piece and, oh, boy, did he ever look angry. To say Stretch was bewildered was the understatement of the century. He looked back to the scarf in the snow. But, there was dust! All over it! And on Red, too! 

Red...

He turned to see Edge momentarily drop to his knees in the snow, clutching at his brother and shouting to him. It was the first time he'd ever seen Edge lose his composure, but right now, he looked utterly terrified. 

Just like...

"Papyrus! Red!" Blue shouted. "Just what is going on here?!"

At this point? Stretch would very much like to know, too. Relieved tears fell from his eyes, dropping to the snow like dollops of honey. He didn't even bother shaking off the snow and remnants of bone, instead choosing to push himself to his knees and-

"ALPHYS!!! I NEED HELP!"

The sheer horror in Edge's agonized cry was unlike anything Stretch had ever heard before. He started fussing over his brother, who was now clutching at the taller skeleton for dear life. Within moments, the armor-clad lizard bounded through, sending up a spray of snow as she skidded to a halt and dropped next to the downed monster. Red looked at Stretch, a wary look on his face as he panted heavily.

Stretch didn't understand.

"But...the dust..." he looked over to the snow and grabbed the blue cloth, yanking it over for inspection. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve and blinked, his sight still a bit blurry due to the influx of magical fluid trickling down his face. The white smear was still there, as plain as blood on snow.

He looked from the scarf to Red to the scarf again. If it wasn't Blue's dust, then who...?

The titular monster had bounded across the snow, an array of blue and white bones still in his hands, looking between his brother and Red, his expression awash in confusion and concern.

"Blue? You're...you're alive?"

It was an obvious statement, and a dumb one at that, but he still couldn't believe it. Not more than a few minutes ago, his soul had nearly shattered just from stumbling across a wayward scarf. 

Before he could get an answer, Chara and Frisk came running through the trees, stopping short as they came into the clearing. Frisk capped their hands over their mouth, but Chara was off the second they'd made a surveying glance across the scene. Instantly, they, too, flew over to Red. Frisk watched the way Chara ran and, inversely, took off toward the fallen Stretch. 

The whole time, Stretch's brother was watching, obviously torn between where his attention should lie.

He looked over toward Chara as the kid dropped down by Alphys, tearing open the tiny rucksack they'd taken to carrying with them. As green magic poured out of Alphys' hand and seeped into Red's skull, Chara plunged their hand into their bag, coming up a moment later with a glass bottle.

"I have this!" they said. Edge took the bottle, his large bony hand obscuring the sticker on the front, and gave it an appraising nod. Biting the cork between his teeth, he ripped it out of the bottle and spat the cork to the side.

"Sans, this is for your own good," Edge said. 

"what's for my own goo- _hrrrk!_ "

Edge encouraged his brother to drink the unknown concoction down while Alphys kept flooding the injury to Red's skull with healing green light. Chara looked on, their expression stoic as they bunched their hands in the fabric of their pants. About that time, Frisk came to rest in front of Stretch, patting his face and asking what happened. Stretch didn't answer, too busy watching as Red finished chugging the little bottle in one go. He munched on something for a minute, then sat up with his brother and Alphys helping him.

"say, that was pretty good, kid," he asked Chara, "got any more?"

Chara let out a relieved sigh and shook their head. "Sorry, that's all I had with me."

"what was in that? it was kinda crunchy. tasted pretty good."

Edge picked the bottle up and looked at it. "Well, Sans, I do not think you are going to be happy about this..."

"happy about what?"

Edge dangled the bottle in front of him by its neck. Red's eyelights, which had momentarily stabilized, suddenly winked out. A moment later, he was making noises of disgust and trying to wipe his mouth out, going so far as to cram a few handfuls of snow into the invisible plane that made up his mouth. Alphys cut her healing magic and withdrew her hand as Red melodramatically feigned sickness.

"spider cider? you feeding me spiders, kid?! c'mon, ain't i had a hard enough day as it is?"

Chara couldn't help but laugh as they got a handful of snow playfully swatted at them. A moment later, Alphys clapped her hand onto Red's shoulder.

"I'm going to CHECK your stats now, alright?" 

For a moment, Red froze up, but he seemed to calm when Edge touched his arm and murmured something to him. Red cast a glance toward Stretch, catching his eye before looking back to his brother. Edge said something Stretch couldn't hear, then looked over to Blue, who suddenly stepped in between the two parties, his stance still ready for battle. He looked back and forth between the two warring parties, his expression far more serious than Stretch had seen in a very long time.

A moment later, Alphys rocked back into a relaxed position, her curiosity satisfied. She looked down and smiled at Chara before patting the child on the shoulder. "Good thinking with that Spider Cider, kid," she said. Chara nodded proudly. Alphys then looked between the two Fell Brothers. "He should be fine. It looks like the crack on the back of his head is gone, and his stats are back to normal. HP's fully restored."

Edge let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you, Captain."

The guardswoman smirked. "No problem," she said. 

Then, all at once, everyone turned toward him.

'Uh-oh.'

Edge and Alphys stood at once, with Alphys throwing her hand out to stop Edge from throwing the bone attack he'd summoned. "Hold it, Bone Boy!" She turned to Stretch with a glare that could curdle milk. "Start talking."

Stretch felt Frisk's little hand curl in his hoodie sleeve, a tiny gesture of comfort as he blurted out the story of how he'd found Blue's scarf, then found Red with the same dust on his coat as was on the scarf.

"ugh, i already toldja! that wasn't dust!" Red yelled, shoving himself to his feet. He wobbled for a moment before Edge and Chara stepped in to straighten him. He glared at Stretch. "it was flour. frisk found that dog that keeps lurking around the house and wanted to make it some dog biscuits, and they just had to have the dog's input."

Frisk's grip tightened and they looked sheepish.

"the dang thing took a liking to blue's scarf and grabbed at it. knocked him, biscuit mix and all to the floor, and we had to fight to get him off. mangy mutt managed to steal the scarf right off blue's neck and take off with it before we could catch him. blue's real particular about that scarf since you gave it to him, so i wasn't about to let some dog steal it."

Red shot Blue an apologetic look, to which Blue responded with a softened gaze. 

The look was only momentary, and definitely _not_ one he wanted to share with Stretch right now. Blue whirled on his brother, his expression somber.

"Red Helped Me Chase The Dog Halfway Across Town To Help Me Get My Scarf Back," he said, his voice low and serious.

"Then, not dust?" Stretch asked. It was a rhetorical question, but one that Red responded to, regardless.

"no, you asshole!"

"LANGUAGE!" came the simultaneous shout from Edge and Blue. Red just threw his hands up in exasperation.

"that fu-jerk tried to dust me! for no reason more than a suspicion! i think i have every right to swear right now!"

Edge made to step forward but both Alphys and Blue held an arm out to keep him back. "If you thought Red had dusted Blue, then why didn't you just CHECK his stats instead of assaulting him the moment you saw him?"

Stretch blinked.

Then blinked some more.

Then blinked for good measure simply because he'd gotten used to doing so because it amused the humans to see a skeleton blink without eyelids.

"Oh, fuck..."

"LANGUAGE!!!"

Red snorted, lolling his head around in a sassy motion. "uh, yeah, 'oh fuck' is right."

"LAN-" Blue started, then waved his arms. "You Know What? Nevermind," he said calmly before waving a finger at both children. "Just Don't You Two Start With Such Habits, Alright?"

Chara and Frisk bobbed their heads in agreement, and then Frisk turned to help Stretch stand. The moment he got to his feet, Alphys had to jerk Edge back again by the cape. He glared at Stretch, his mouth set into a grim line, and his eyelights flaring scarlet beneath a deeply scowling brow.

"Blue has been nothing but kind to us," Edge barked at him, venom dripping from his every word. Alphys grabbed his arm to prevent him from going any further, as her warnings fell on deaf ears. "He has been especially helpful to my brother, and for that, I am eternally grateful."

Blue's brow bones raised and his eyelights widened to normal-sized circles. Edge didn't give out compliments very often - at least, not to anyone but the kids - so having one directed at anyone else (especially one so openly honest) would have been cause for celebration under any other circumstances. The implications were not lost on Stretch.

"As for you!" Stretch looked back to Edge. The other monster lowered his voice, a strange somberness lingering as he spoke, almost biting the words when he enunciated. "I knew you made up your mind about us that moment you saw our LV. I know you just wanted to make sure your brother was safe. But," he spat the word, leaning as far out as Alphys' grip would allow him, "I never thought someone as calm and patient as you would jump to conclusions like this, to go so far as to try to _dust the only family that I have left_."

Stretch swore he saw the tiniest hint of red liquid pooling at the base of Edge's sockets as the guard pulled away. Shrugging off Alphys' grasp, he turned smartly on his heel and marched back over to Sans. He put a hand on his brother's shoulder, which caused Red to look up at him and elicit a strange expression. He turned once more toward Stretch and called for Frisk to join him. The human child gave Stretch a sorrowful look before apologizing and trudging off through the snow, rubbing one arm comfortingly. Chara noticed their discomfort as the approached and took their hand, shooting them a sad smile. Immediately, Edge took their hand and spoke something softly to them, only to shoot Stretch one final look.

And boy, did that look ever hit Stretch like a punch to the gut! He looked over at Red, who made an "I'm watching you" gesture between his eye sockets and Stretch before Edge's voice drew his attention once more. As they walked away - Edge with his hand still on Red's shoulder, his other hand gripping Frisk's, Chara holding Frisk's remaining hand - the waves of confusion finally began to part. Instantly, guilt began to pool within him, rising, choking him with guilt, and he felt tears spring to his eyes anew.

He'd fucked up.

Boy, did he ever.

He insides began to churn, making him wonder if he finally would be sick. It was all he could do to keep himself together as the weight of his actions only minutes prior finally started to sink in.

He had nearly _dusted_ another monster.

The very thought of doing so even out of self-defense was abhorrent to him. Furthermore, it was even his duty as Judge of the realm to pass capital punishment upon another - be they monster or human - if it was deemed necessary to protect the rest of the Underground. Even as a sentry, it was still in his job description to take someone down if it meant protecting life and limb.

But he had nearly done so _because he was scared_.

Because he was _angry_.

Because a little misunderstanding fueled by a misplaced scarf and his own overprotectiveness of his brother caused him to nearly take out the brother of _someone else_.

If that didn't make him feel like the most detestable creature in existence, then the look of rage and disappointment he got from Blue made sure of it.

Blue vanished his bone attacks, his eyelights reduced to angry pinpricks as he glowered at his brother. Alphys looked between the two, then stepped up to say here peace.

"Normally, I'd take you in for something like this," she told Stretch, "but I'm not going to because you-" she shoved a clawed finger into his chest before pointing back toward the injured parties, "-are not getting out of fixing this. I don't care if it takes until the day you dust, you're going to make it up to those boys. Am I clear?"

Stretch nodded mutely. Alphys looked down at Blue as she started to walk off.

"I'm leaving him in your care, dork," she said, "knock some sense into him if you've gotta."

Blue said nothing, choosing to keep his gaze locked onto Stretch.

Finally, Alphys walked away, and Stretch couldn't bring himself to turn away from the hardened look on his brother's face. Blue never said a word for the longest time, choosing to stare down Stretch with an expression he'd never seen on the shorter skeleton's face.

The two brothers stood in silence, never speaking until the footsteps of the others were barely audible in the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, who needs a hug? No? Please stop looking at the screen and asking where the knives are. ^^;
> 
> Next up: One very angry Blue and one very rueful Stretch have a little...chat.


	4. CHAPTER FOUR: "Blue Breaks Down The Facts"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Underswap Bros verbally hash it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't planned on turning the Blueberry into an absolute badass here, but my fingers just got to typing and - here we are!

CHAPTER FOUR: "Blue Breaks Down The Facts"  
———————

The silence stretched on uncomfortably long. It wasn't often Stretch saw his brother dead silent, nor had he ever seen Blue so serious. Despite his own misgivings about Blue joining the Royal Guard, he had been surprised by Blue's behavior when he showed up. 

Blue had a tendency to barrel into all matters with a big smile on his face, knocking down whatever obstacles came his way like a well-thrown bowling ball. To see him not only instantly summon his blasters, eviscerate Stretch's own with a single shot, and boldly stride onto the battlefield with weapons at the ready as he cautiously surveyed the situation? 

That wasn't his normal Blue.

That was the professionalism of a true warrior.

This wasn't a side of his big brother he ever recalled seeing, and the hardened look on his face was never something he'd ever fathomed. It was dark, serious, and Stretch felt there was another strong emotion building behind the stoic mask.

Something _dangerous_.

The longer Stretch looked at his brother, the worse his guilt ate at him. Normally, even his usual serious expression - more of frustration than real anger, Stretch now realized - was hardly something that would cow Stretch ever since he'd gained a few heads' worth of height on the older skeleton. Now, however, the cold, seething rage of those bright blue eyelights made Stretch wish he could shrink down and go hide under a rock somewhere.

" _yeah, buddy, i ain't done nothing wrong. me and blue are getting to be great pals. ain't we, blue?_ "

" _what are you doing?! what did i do now?_ "

" _stretch, i swear on my brother's life i would never hurt blue!_ "

Stretch recalled Red's words, each stabbing his mind enough to nearly make him wince. Red really hadn't meant Blue any harm, and certainly hadn't done him any. Stretch looked down at the scarf in his hands. He knew how much Blue adored that ragged piece of cloth. Red definitely wasn't the most athletic monster in the cardio department, but he'd chased a dog - a creature Stretch knew he wasn't very fond of - across Snowdin just to get the scarf back because it was precious to Blue. Had done so after attempting to wrangle said dog and, from the sound of it, probably kept it from accidentally detaching Blue's head in the process of absconding with the scarf.

It made him start to think back on the reactions the Underfell skeleton had with his brother and see them in a new light.

A positive light.

One that Stretch had allowed himself to be completely blinded to because he had taken one look at Red and had eyed him with skepticism ever since.

He'd known Red long enough to know that, when he didn't want to do something, then nothing short of his own brother dragging him would get him to move. If he did want something but it took too much effort, sometimes he wouldn't even bother. He was very brusque and able to ward off most monsters he didn't want to deal with with only a scowl and a few cutting words. He hadn't bothered to try to manipulate anyone else and, with few exceptions, just wanted to be left alone. 

It was completely against Red's MO to spend a months-long campaign to manipulate Blue because _it would have taken too much effort_.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he should have realized sooner Red was too lazy to expend the energy to take advantage of his brother. If anything, Red seemed to lighten up now whenever he saw Blue, and the other's attention brought an obvious slackening to his shoulders. He'd started to puff out his chest a bit more in the presence of the smaller skeleton, but Stretch had - incorrectly - thought it was because he was as proud as a robin.

Red was nowhere near a threat to his brother.

And, after seeing the display from earlier, it was obvious Blue was more than able to take care of himself.

Finally, Stretch realized that Blue was waiting for him to start, so he did.

"Blue? I..."

What could he say?

Sorry, you've been so short and naively optimistic for so long that I considered you childish, despite the fact you helped raise me? That I've literally been gunning for Red ever since you took an interest in him because he's killed other monsters before? That I my overprotectiveness caused me to lash out because my view was so warped I thought there could only have been a violent outcome when dealing with him?

"...I'm sorry."

'Oh, yeah, great work there,' he mentally winced. So great was his talent for words that he should write soliloquies. Perhaps go on television and sing songs right next to Napstaton. Brilliant.

"You're Sorry?" Blue echoed.

"Brother, I thought you were dead!" Stretch told him. "I saw the scarf covered in what looked like dust, so I called your phone but Alphys picked up and said you and Red were gone. Then I found Red and he was covered in the same stuff, so I thought..."

Blue's expression seemed to harden further, and Stretch thought he heard the gritting of teeth. "You Thought What, Papyrus?"

Stretch tried his best to form a coherent response, but really, there was no way to put his thoughts and actions into a good light.

"I fucked up."

"Yes, You Did," Blue said, nodding, his tone low and seething.

Stretch couldn't stand to look at the rage and hurt building on his brother's face and looked down at the scarf still gripped in his hand. "I thought I lost you and I stopped thinking straight. I just...snapped. I saw red."

"Oh, I Saw Red, Too," Blue retorted. "I Saw You Two Fighting. Heard Him Call Out For Help - Heard Him Ask You For _Mercy_ \- And Yet, You Still Attacked Him!"

"I thought he'd killed you!"

"YOU SHOULD HAVE CHECKED HIM!"

"I wasn't thinking!"

"NO, YOU WEREN'T THINKING! THAT'S BEEN THE PROBLEM SINCE DAY ONE!" Blue bellowed, throwing his arms out in exasperation. "EVER SINCE RED AND EDGE CAME HERE, YOU'VE BEEN WALKING ON EGGSHELLS AROUND THEM AND TREATING THEM LIKE THEY ARE CRIMINALS!"

Stretch wanted to remind him of their LV, but Blue cut him off.

"DON'T INTERRUPT ME!" he shouted, wagging a finger in Stretch's face. He took a deep breath to steel himself. "Have You Ever Even Tried Talking To Them? About The Other World?"

Stretch nodded.

"I Don't Mean Listening In When Frisk First Brought Them Here. I Meant Actually Sitting Down And Talking To Either Of Them, One-On-One."

"Every time I did, Red just behaves like a smartass."

"AND WHY DO YOU THINK HE DOES THAT, BROTHER? HMM?" Blue asked, hands on hips. "HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE, OH, I DON'T KNOW...YOUR UNWILLINGNESS TO HEAR WHAT HE ACTUALLY HAS TO SAY?"

Suddenly, it dawned on Stretch that maybe some of Red's trolling him might have been because he knew Stretch was going to observe him with suspicion regardless of what he said. Thinking back, Red really hadn't started to be as much of a snarky bastard until Stretch had started making excuses to try and get Blue away from him.

"I'm A Grown Monster, Papyrus. You Know I Can Handle Myself. I Took Care of You For Years, Or Do You Not Remember That?" Stretch had the decency to look sheepish. "You Used To Think I Was A Good Judge Of Character. What Made Red Any Different? His LV? Oh, Brother, If You Had ANY Idea What He And Edge Have Gone Through, You'd Realize Just How Foolish You've Been. Of Course, You Already Would Have, If You Stuck Around To See How Red Treated Me Without Trying To Run Him Off."

" _stretch, i swear on my brother's life i would never hurt blue!_ "

As Red's words echoed in Stretch's mind, Blue whipped his finger out in the direction where Edge and Red went.

"Now," he told his brother, "You're Going To Go Apologize To Both Red and Edge For What You've Done. And You Had Better Hope That You Haven't Made Them Feel Unsafe Here The Way They Were Back In Their Old World, Or So Help Me Brother, I'll...I'll...!"

Blue clenched his fists, his entire body shaking for a few moments as he fumed. Eventually, his arms went lax, and he took a step back.

"Talk To Red," Blue told him, "If You Can Get Him To Speak To You Again. At This Point, I'm Not Sure Edge Will, And I Don't Blame Him! See You At Home, Brother."

And with that, Blue spun on his heel, running off toward the quickly disappearing figure of Red in the distance - leaving Stretch to wallow in his shame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, I am not about to take it easy on Stretch. No, sir. 
> 
> Ya' see, just because Blue didn't have his phone on him doesn't mean Red didn't. And a certain brother happened to overhear EVERYTHING.


	5. CHAPTER FIVE: "Apologizing Can Be Hard"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stretch tries to apologize.  
> It doesn't go very well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, y'all.

CHAPTER FIVE: "Apologizing Can Be Hard"  
———————

It started off with a text:

STRETCH: I'm sorry Red

Which was immediately followed by another text:

RED: fuck off

...Fair enough. If Red had randomly attacked Stretch, he'd have responded pretty much the same way. Still, he didn't really know what else to do. Showing up at the Fell Brothers' house would just be invading their territory right now, and that would have gone over like a pregnant pole vaulter. He had to extend the olive branch somehow, so he tried again.

STRETCH: On the offhand chance you haven't blocked any further texts coming from me, I want you to know I really am sorry, Red. To both of you. I judged you all without giving you much of a chance, and I fucked up. I fucked up badly. If there were a contest for biggest fuck ups, I'd have won the grand prize. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, and I definitely should have just talked to you instead of attacking you. Blue was right. I don't know either of you or what you've gone through. 

His second message went through, and soon enough, a notification appeared saying: "ERROR: This message cannot be delivered." The phone fell from Stretch's hand and he hung his head.

"Greeeeeeat," he thought aloud. How was he supposed to fix things with Red if he wouldn't give him a chance?

The irony of the situation was not lost on him, and Stretch felt the weight of his sins bearing down on him as he tried to text Edge. No sooner than he had sent the first message then it, too, came back undelivered.

As he lay down in his bed, the heavy emotional toll of the day soon overcame him, and he soon found himself robbed of sleep despite his physical and mental exhaustion. He looked over at the flour-caked scarf draped over a nearby chair. His brother had refused to take it back, regarding it with silent disdain as if the token of his brother's love had left a dark smear on his life. Stretch would be lying if he didn't feel his soul crack when he was told to keep it. Now, it stood as a macabre reminder of Stretch's bad decisions.

He rolled over and reached out for the cloth, bringing it close. Stretch had really hurt his brother, and he knew it. Oh, he fully realized just how deep Blue was getting into this thing he had with Red, and he prayed he hadn't messed that up, too.

Oh, Toriel, what if he _had_?!

Stretch had done his best to keep Blue and Red apart - or at least, with an eye hovering nearby - thinking that he was doing what was in Blue's best interests. But he hadn't actually needed to protect Blue. However, after what happened, Edge might feel the need to protect Red from Stretch. Stretch didn't know how he would live with the guilt of knowing he was the reason for ruining his brother's chance at happiness.

A twinge of pain wrenched his soul, leaving Stretch wide-eyed and breathless.

What if Edge started to react the same way Stretch had?

What if Blue found something of Red's discarded one day and Edge jumped to the same conclusions? What IF-

"No," he told himself, tugging the scarf close, "Edge wouldn't do that." Edge, for all of his faults (which were starting to look incredibly minor compared to Stretch's own), was incredibly well-disciplined and had his emotions practically in a vice grip. Besides, Edge had acknowledged how much Blue had helped them.

Edge may have had high LV, but he wasn't an ingrate.

The guard's look of betrayal and parting words stung him even now as the day's events flashed in his mind: Red's pleas for him to see reason, his cries for help, the injury Strech had given Red, the pain on Edge's face (and his terror at possibly losing his brother), the cold-hearted expression on his brother's face.

Sighing, Stretch rolled onto his back and prepared for a long, sleepless night. Maybe he could talk to the brothers during patrol tomorrow.

"You're suspended from sentry duty for a week."

The punishment Alphys meted out came down swiftly.

"This wasn't anything the Fells asked me to do," she quickly added. "In fact, they probably thought it would make them look like they were afraid of you, and that's the last thing they want right now."

Her glare told him that was only part of a statement, and Stretch knew exactly what the rest of it was. 

"This should give everyone enough time to calm down so it won't affect their work. Until then, I expect you will get to work on my orders. I take it you haven't made any headway?"

Stretch shook his head. "I was hoping to run into them today."

Alphys crossed her arms over her chest and fixed him with a knowing look. "Blocked your phone number, didn't they?" He nodded, eliciting a thoughtful noise from the lizard monster. "Have you tried actually going over to talk to them?"

"I'm sure they're just dying for my company right now."

Stretch was fairly sure that if he stepped onto the property alone, he'd likely set a trap off. Last thing he wanted was to worry Blue even more by winding up stuck in a pit for hours on end. 

"Hmm, you're probably right. Stepping into their territory after what you pulled yesterday would likely make things worse. What else have you tried?"

Stretch shrugged. "Nothing else, yet."

"Well, hop to it, nerd!" Alphys said. "I don't like seeing my friends' bones rattled. Blue's been so quiet it's scary."

Too much so, in Stretch's opinion. Today was the first day since Stretch could remember that Blue didn't bother to wake him up. Instead, he found a note on the kitchen table simply stating that his brother had left for work and that there was a sandwich in the fridge for his lunch. At least Blue wasn't so angry he wasn't willing to feed him...

He knew Red would be at his station that day and wondered if he should bother stopping by. It wasn't too far away from his home and, with Edge on patrol, it was possible he might encounter both of them. Stretch headed off to find Red first.

Unsurprisingly, the skeleton in question was right at his post. However, he looked very alert and saw Stretch coming. Before Stretch could do more than wave in greeting, Red's form winked out of sight, indicating he had teleported elsewhere. Stretch ran over the sentry station, shouting for him to come back, but it was no use. The magical signature from one of Red's "shortcuts" was fleeting, so by the time Stretch arrived, it had already dissipated so that Stretch had no trail to follow.

"Red? Red! Red, I'm sorry!" he shouted, looking around this way and that, hoping beyond hopes that Red might have stayed in the area close enough to hear him. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, calling out the other's name. "Red! Red, will you please just ans-!"

He turned around to see a very angry Edge skid to a stop in the road. Stretch hadn't even noticed him in the vicinity, and seeing a six-foot-three skeleton pop up in the middle of the snowbound path made him jump. Edge had appeared without making a sound until the very last moment, and, staring him down the way he was, with most of his form garbed in a sleek black, he reminded Stretch very much of a jaguar - or, in the very least, a big angry kitty cat.

"Why are you here?" Edge demanded, his voice low and even. Stretch noticed that he hadn't yet drawn any weapons or summoned any attacks, but that gave him little comfort. Edge's agility was on par with Blue's energy.

Or was. Stretch vowed that he was going to set things right again.

"I wanted to apologize," he said.

"Well, you have," Edge told him, "now leave."

"Wait, Edge, I-"

The bones attacks appeared in Edge's hands faster than one could blink. "I said _leave_! Or does that word have no meaning to you, either, seeing as how it comes from one of us?"

Stretch felt the trickle of sweat bead up on his forehead.

"Edge, I'm not here to fight. I want to make things right."

A hollow chuckle lilted across the otherwise tranquil landscape, and a sardonic smile twisted Edge's features. "By what? Finishing what you started?" Edge's eyelights flared as he stepped into a fighting stance. "Well, then, go ahead. After all, we've only been here for the "free EXP". Isn't that what you said?"

Oh, shit, he had said that, hadn't he?

Stretch put his hands up in supplication. "Edge, I swear, I'm not here to fight you."

"No? What, monsters with less HP more your target?"

"Nobody is my target, Edge!" Stretch shouted, thoroughly exasperated. "I thought Blue had died yesterday! Yes, I realize, I made a horrible judgment call and I should have just CHECKed Red's stats, or even just asked him, and I didn't. But I saw what I thought was dust on his scarf - the thing he only takes off to wash? I thought I saw dust on that and on your brother, and...well, what was I supposed to think?"

Edge raised up from his stance and gently tapped his head with one of his attacks.

Stretch gave him a confused look.

" _Listen_ ," Edge said, "is what you should have done. See? I have stood here and listened to you. It is really not a difficult task."

Heaving a sigh, Stretch let his arms fall. "You're right, I should have listened and I didn't. But after Alphys picked up Blue's phone and I saw...I thought I lost my brother, Edge. The idea that Sans - that Blue was gone, I-I just...I just snapped, alright?"

Edge's stare remained locked onto his eyes. "So, after losing your brother, your first thought was to rob me of mine?"

The words stung Stretch as if they'd been dipped in acid. Edge straightened.

"Go home, Stretch."

"I-"

" _Go!_ "

Letting out a sigh, Stretch knew this was a battle he wasn't going to win. His shoulders slumped, he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and took a few steps before stopping.

He called back over his shoulder. "I know what I did was wrong, but if it had been your brother, would you have done the same?"

No response.

He sighed. "Just don't punish Blue for my stupid mistakes," he asked. "I know I have no right to ask you, but he thinks highly of you both. Thinks a lot of Red. So, just..."

After a few moments of hearing nothing, he turned around.

Edge was gone, having left as silently as he came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What, you thought it would be be an easy fix? Nah. Gonna use your hearts as my stress toy for a little while longer.
> 
> I'm actually surprised the dialogue is coming out as well as it has. This was a difficult chapter to write because, well, what do you say to someone you did something super bad to? Or respond to someone who has broken your trust this badly? Also, it's really hard to apologize to someone when you can't peg them down long enough to listen to you.
> 
> ...I've actually put a bit of ironic humor in this, I think.


	6. CHAPTER SIX: "Snooping For Information"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stretch goes snooping for information, and gets an unexpected visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays of choice, everyone. Here's another chapter.

CHAPTER SIX: "Snooping For Information"  
———————

Stretch spent the rest of the day trying to figure out how to apologize to the Underfell Brothers.

It was very difficult to do that, as well as learn anything about them to give them another chance. He found himself at one point on social media, sending private messages that remained unread. That may have been a waste of time, but it gave him a chance to peruse the profiles of the two monsters he'd wronged.

There was no Undernet back where Edge and Red came from. At least, not in the context that it was used here. From what he gathered, it was mostly restricted to the science and military sectors, primarily used for data collection and mired the in anti-human propaganda decreed by their king. Neither of them really got to use the Undernet for personal amusement until they came to Stretch's world.

He started with Edge's profile.

It was Spartan enough to be a scammer's account.

Literally, there were only a handful of posts, most of them group photos that had been tagged by Blue. He scanned through them and saw that most of them had likely been taken by Blue, too, with the briefest of captions:

An avatar photo comprised of a head-and-shoulders shot more at home on a military dossier.

A group photo taken with all of the guards and sentries of Snowdin.

A candid of the two brothers sitting on his living room couch, both with their attention focused on something (likely a TV) off-camera. Red has a serious expression, his bulky body leaned forward with his arms over his knees, while Edge - looking dour as ever - was sitting ramrod-straight, his arms crossed over his chest. Between the two of them sat Chara, who looked like they were attempting Edge's expression and failing. The caption to that one read "Watching the Biannual Snail-Racing Championship".

Another from the same day - this one titled "Our Gracious Hosts" - featured Blue and Stretch himself standing in the kitchen. Blue was waving happily to the camera as he stirred a large pot of something, while Stretch was leaned against the wall as close to the fire extinguisher as he could get. Stretch recalled that one had been taken not long after the two brothers had shown up on their doorstep. Both photos had been taken by Frisk, and it had only been after much goading that Edge agreed to upload them to his wall.

Finally, there was another photo of Edge, this one with a much more candid look. As the first picture on the wall, it had likely been his first avatar photo. It had Edge, his arms lax by his sides, looking off to the side in a way that really showed off the sharp angles of his profile. It looked to be cropped out of a larger photo, but it was still a decent shot. Stretch wondered why he didn't keep that one up.

There wasn't much in his biographical section that wasn't already known, as it basically contained only his name, occupation, and favorite food. Not exactly a jackpot of information there.

Next, he brought up Red's profile.

Now, Red had a TON of photos. Most of them were clearly candids taken by Frisk or Chara, and Stretch would say a good 80% of them featured Blue doing something with him. If most of them hadn't been tagged by Blue himself, Stretch would seriously have considered if Red had some sort of stalker obsession going on. Scrolling from the first few pictures onward, however, it was plain to see that Red had slowly begun to look healthier over time. _Happier_ , even. And most of that happiness seemed directed around Blue.

Stretch facepalmed.

How could he be such an idiot?

He knew his brother was catching feelings for the Underfell monster, but he never realized that Red might have genuinely started to like him back.

That made certain memories make so much more sense now.

Groaning, he set his phone aside and dropped his face into his hands.

That was when he heard a knock on the door.

Stretch cocked his head, wondering who might be there. Most people would know Blue and him should be at work now, so who could possibly know someone was home? He half-wondered if Edge had decided to come kick his ass for the day before, but logically figured that is was probably Alphys come to deliver some advice.

He walked over to the door and pulled it out.

"Alphys, I don't think suplexing a boulder will..."

His eyes immediately trailed down from the blank spot where Alphys should have been to a figure that was quite a bit smaller. Stretch raised a brow bone as the determined face of Chara stared up at him.

"Kid? What are you doing here? For that matter, how did you know I was-"

"Frisk wanted to LOAD, but I wouldn't let 'em," Chara said, "let me in." 

They added a quick, slightly less serious but still frustrated "please" on the end, as if some invisible force had reminded them of their manners. Probably a holdover from hanging out with Frisk and Blue so much, Stretch realized. He stepped to the side and allowed the human child to enter, closing the door behind them. 

As he watched the child stomp the snow off their boots before removing their outer layers of winter clothing, he couldn't help but wonder at the distinct lack of the other half of the usual human unit.

"Where's Frisk?" he asked. 

After Chara's last RESET, they had initially chosen to stay with Stretch and Blue. However, after Frisk arrived and the two Underfell Brothers found a place of their own, Chara had invited themselves over and pretty much stayed. Monsters were a handy sort, used to making do with what they could scavenge of make themselves, so it had only taken a few days for Edge and Red to convert what was probably intended as a dining room into two smaller rooms for both children. They still came over very often but Chara, in particular, seemed to do better having a space of their own rather than sleeping on the Swaps' couch.

"Taking a nap," Chara said, shucking off their boots. "They were up all night. Couldn't sleep when nobody else was."

The words hit Stretch like a well-timed attack. Not only had he attacked Red and freak out Edge, but he made them lose sleep, too? If he felt any more like a heel, someone may as well tack him onto a pair of pumps.

Looking at Chara, he saw that their usual rosy complexion was a bit pale, and there was a hint of dark circles beginning to form under their eyes. It was obvious they hadn't rested well either.

'Great,' he thought. He'd managed to hurt the kids, too. What kind of monster had his prejudices turned him into?

"I see," Stretch said, "and how do Edge and Red feel about you coming over here?" Red might not have been as doting toward Chara as he was to the sensitive cinnamon roll from his own universe, but Edge tutted over them like a mother hen. Stretch almost expected the taller Fell Brother to start clucking during one of his lines of parental questioning some day.

"They don't know," Chara said, looking away, a strangely sobering look on their face. It was far more natural than the faux smile they persistently wore, but Stretch couldn't help but feel it was wrong for someone still in stripes to have such a dark expression. "But I needed to come here. This...this has to be done."

Chara's last words were punctuated with a heavy sigh and a nod, a behavior Stretch felt was meant more for them than himself. (To psyche themselves up? Reassurement? He wasn't certain.)

They looked up at Stretch. "Can we talk?" Stretch nodded, waving an arm out toward the living room. Chara nodded and marched off to the couch in a gait that had become more trademark to them lately. It was the same way Edge walked: confident, self-assured, and with purpose.

As the child hopped up onto the sofa, Stretch ambled over to join them He noticed the kid's eyes had trailed to his discarded phone, which still had Red's photo-filled social media page pulled up.

"You wouldn't have to snoop through their profiles if you talked to them," Chara said. Stretch was taken aback at their observation, and felt more than a little embarrassment that even a _child_ could pick up on what he was doing.

He plopped down on the couch with a sigh. "Kinda hard to learn about them when they won't give me the time of day," Stretch admitted. Chara bobbed their head, their eyes still trained on the phone.

"You're a lot more alike than you realize," came the soft reply. Stretch raised a brow bone. "You'd know that-"

"'-If I'd talked to them.' Yeah, I know that now," Stretch said, trying to keep his voice calm. It was frustrating to hear the same thing over and over again - even if it was just the memorized voices from the day before repeating in his head - and he knew he deserved to have that rubbed in a little, but it was frustrating, nevertheless. Still, he didn't need to turn his bad mood onto _Chara_ of all people. He groaned, rubbing his hands over his face. He really wanted a cigarette right then, but he'd heard from Blue that the smoke was really bad for human's lungs.

Besides, knowing how Chara acted around the grown-ups, he wouldn't be surprised if the little brat would want a drag themselves. 

"I know, Chara," he told them, much less harshly now, "and I know my misgivings about the two of them led me to do something very stupid. I jumped to conclusions and it led me to make a very foolish mistake." 

Chara raised an eyebrow and fixed him with a look. "You mean you 'fucked up, big time'," they said, the sarcasm dripping from their words. 

"Now what did Blue tell you about making a habit of that?" Stretch reminded them. He wasn't going to chide the kid, and honestly, was the type that would teach the kid more swear words just to get a rise out of others when they said them in public, but he wasn't in much of a trolling mood right now.

"Not to," Chara said, "but I call 'em as I see 'em. Besides, Blue isn't here."

Stretch admitted the kid had a point.

"So why are you here?" 

After the looks he'd gotten yesterday after hurting Chara's big red friend, he didn't expect the child to want to have anything to do with him any time soon.

"I know Red and Edge aren't talking to you," they began, "I heard them talking about the messages you sent last night and saw they'd blocked you on their phones."

"And how'd you learn that, kid?"

Chara smirked and waggled the fingers of one hand in the air. "Swiped their phones. I may not have magic, but my fingers ought to be." 

Stretch couldn't help but chuckle at that. He knew of Chara's penchant for getting into places they shouldn't be, both during this timeline and a few others previous.

"So now I know how all of my socks wound up tied together a few weeks ago, you little lock picker," Chara's smirk widened to a grin. "What would the others think if they knew about your little skills, hmm?"

"Blue doesn't know, Frisk tells me not to do it unless I have to, Red laughed and gave me an actual lockpick set, and Edge taught me how to use them. Showed me how to get out of handcuffs without them, too."

Stretch didn't comment. However, the owlish blinking that followed did draw out a chuckle from the kid, and they sat back for a moment looking very smug.

"You're really blunt when you want to be."

"I guess," Chara said. "Beats holding everything back for manners' sake." Their smug grin faltered a bit, allowing the sobering look to partially return. "My parents...my adopted ones...they taught me about being polite around monsters. It makes sense, seeing as how the Underground isn't exactly the biggest place on the planet. If we've gotta live together, it's best to try to get along and not step on people's toes more than you have to."

Stretch fixed them with a hard look. Adopted parents? He knew Edge and Red took care of them, but they'd never heard the kid refer to the Fells as their parents before. Did Chara consider them their fathers now?

"You look confused," they said, casting a look up at Stretch. They shot him a soft smile. "I suppose you would be. Never talked to you about that before. About my original world."

'Original world'? Now Stretch was very puzzled. This wasn't Chara's world? He knew Frisk wasn't from there, but he never suspected that Chara...

Chara sighed. "It's a long story. You probably won't think much of me when I'm done, but you know about the Resets. But in order for you to understand Red and Edge, you've gotta understand me."

And so, they told him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, we start to get into more of the convoluted mechanics of how not only we can have two versions of the same brother set in the same universe, but two human protagonists - including one who was long dead in another timeline. Then it's time for Frisk to step in and talk about what Stretch should have learned about Underfell ages ago.
> 
> We about to get a heavy dose of feels here, folks.
> 
> Merry Christmas, don't drink too much, and comment away!


	7. CHAPTER SEVEN: "Chara's Confession"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stretch learns the truth behind Chara and Frisk, and then comes to a conclusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, had to delete the first posting of this because I accidentally wound up italicizing EVERYTHING.  
> There's also a point where Chara speaks during a flashback that I couldn't get to italicize no matter what I did. 
> 
> More explanation about the route I took with Chara and the multiverse in this story in the footnotes.

CHAPTER SEVEN: "Chara's Confession"  
\------

Stretch inhaled deeply, trying to focus on how the curl of the cigarette smoke fed into his mouth, some of it escaping through the hollow parts of his skull while the rest disappeared, absorbed by the barrier of orange ecto that now shimmered from the top of his spinal column and disappeared beneath his clothes. Normally, he would just absorb what smoke he pulled through his teeth, allowing most of it to disperse. Right now, though? He needed every ounce of nicotine he could drag out of the little roll of tobacco and paper to calm his frayed nerves.

Chara was _dead_.

Or had been.

And now, they were alive again.

Not like when they had to LOAD or RESET due to some fatal mishap, either. No, unlike Frisk, Chara had been dead for _over a century,_. 

And that was the actual chronological account from the date they actually died to now. Between all of the RESETS and LOADS they did with Flowey. Not the Floweys he knew, which were the uber-chipper monsters that lived in their own village in Waterfall, but a science experiment that somehow captured the soul of Prince Asriel. Or not-soul? Stretch already had a splitting headache from trying to comprehend all of the little details, so he wasn't going to delve into that one for too long.

All he knew was that Frisk and Chara both originally came from another universe - this one they called "Undertale". Chara had died in a plan to try to free monsters, inadvertently leading to their adopted siblings death. Bob's your uncle, Fanny's your aunt, and years down the road Frisk falls into the Underground and SAVES everyone. 

But not before Chara, their SOUL unable to rest, kept whispering in their ear, tempting them, leading them to do stupid, _STUPID_ things. Horrible things. Things that made Stretch realize just how damn _easy_ he and his whole universe had gotten off in the grand scheme of things.

It was still hard to imagine the sensitive Frisk, who cried when somebody _else_ dropped their Nice Cream, could ever have been part of a genocide on the Underground.

Stars, he needed another smoke!

He ground out the butt of the last cigarette in the snow and lit up another, his hands shaking and causing his fingers to rattle and clatter slightly as he did so.

Boy, had he gotten off easily.

In that other world, that "Undertale", the Judge in his position had been Sans. Stretch couldn't imagine his big bro holding such an imperious position, let alone having to enact the duties of said post hundreds of times - sometimes, having to fight to death death because of it.

Not that that "hundreds" of times was allocated to one monster in particular.

There were dozens of other universes - similar ones - all somehow spawned due Frisk Resetting and trying again and again to find some way to save Flowey, to find a way that even the last monster Underground could join his family again.

( **They'd mentioned other monsters. Monsters whom he could almost remember now. He recalled a momentary flash of black and white, of symbols, of a Man that Spoke in Hands and-** )

(Wait, what? He thought he remembered something, but now, he...? Huh?)

Stretch held his head and groaned, plucking the cigarette out between his teeth so he could exhale the excess smoke. He didn't need to as his ecto could absorb it all, but the practiced motion of it was calming. As he watched the smoke curl out, twirling and dancing around the light mist of flurries surrounding him, the rest of Chara's confession came back to him.

Flowey - er, Asriel. Temmie? Yes, Temmie, the strange monster that looked like a plush toy come to life, hadn't "played" around with him before. Not the way Flowey and a disembodied Chara had in their original world. Chara said this was because they hadn't wanted to. 

("In my old world, I was dead," they'd told Stretch. "It was like I was in a dark dream for so long. I could just barely feel Asriel's SOUL there, but I couldn't see it. Couldn't reach it. We were just...there. Time didn't exist to us. Then, one day, it did. Alphys did something and suddenly, Azzie was gone and Flowey was there. So was I but I also...wasn't? It's hard to explain. For a few years, Flowey existed, learning about the Underground as it had become. We revealed ourselves to our parents, but it went over so, so badly that Flowey...I couldn't lose him, but I felt us breaking apart again, and - well, next thing I knew, we were back to Square One.")

The First RESET of Many.

By that point, six other humans had fallen Underground, and neither Chara nor Flowey knew when another would. They tried different things, tried explaining to their parents in other ways what had happened. Once, it turned out alright, but the obvious toll it took on them to not see Chara made the duo RESET. After that, they tried to do different things, but they usually RESET again after a while. Eventually, they started to SAVE and LOAD instead, wanting to see where life would take them.

And, eventually, Frisk fell.

Frisk was a catalyst for change.

However, given they were at times guided by a sociopathic flower and a restless spirit whose own state of mind was already warped when they died, it was a recipe for disaster.

Stretch took another drag on his cigarette.

No one should have ever had that sort of omnipotent power. The power to RESET.

Children didn't have the same moral compass as adults, didn't always understand the implications of certain actions. Try having three of them - one without the ability to feel LOVE, one unable to touch or be seen by anyone besides a deranged weed and maybe another human, and one that was just tired and scared and _just wanted to go home_ \- and...

Well.

Things happened.

Thankfully, Frisk realized that whatever Flowey and Chara had gone through was not going to help. Killing one monster over that one to achieve another "ending" never made anything better, and Frisk allowed Chara to push them through completely wiping the Underground once in hopes that, at the end, there might be _something _they could find to bring Flowey back. However, at the end, when Chara took control and had them take out the very monster Frisk wanted desperately to save and, in a blaze of insanity, tried to convince Frisk to continue further, to take to the Surface and wipe out mankind because-__

  
("Humans are **evil** ," Chara had said, a hardness in their eyes and absolute, pure hatred glazing their words, "they're vile and cruel. They're not like monsters. They're not born of love and compassion. They hate. They destroy lives just because they can. They'll smile in your face and then tear you to shreds.") 

Stretch looked over at Chara through the living room window. The child was lying on the couch, curled up under a blanket, asleep. Their confessions had emotionally and mentally drained them, and, coupled with the lack of sleep from the day before, tired them to the point they could no longer hold out against their exhaustion. 

__He'd learned some very horribly dark things about Chara's past before they fell. Things that made him sick to his core. Things that would have surely dusted a monster if they'd endured some of it, things monsters would never even _consider_ doing, it wasn't in their nature and-_ _

__Stretch felt magic bubble up inside of his ecto, rising to his throat like bile._ _

__That child had been through a hell that Stretch could never imagine. A hell that made Stretch wonder if being cordoned off Underground had been a _good_ thing._ _

__After Frisk had found... _something_...Stretch couldn't remember who had helped them-_ _

__( **-a flash of white and black-** )_ _

__-but somehow, they ended up in another universe. Another timeline. A machine the Sans from Undertale had had taken them to alternatives of that world, to the exact same time as when Frisk had started their first run. They'd found a way to bring Asriel back in their old world, but in doing so, also managed to find a universe where _Chara_ was alive. Chara didn't understand how that happened, tried to explain but- _ _

__( **-REDACTED-** )_ _

__...Well, Chara was alive now, and that gave Frisk another set of hands to try to save their friend( **s?** ). There was a lot more universe hopping involved, but in the end, they'd found some of the universes weren't stable, could never be saved no matter what Frisk and Chara tried. They were missing something, corrupted somehow. Timelines that trailed off with no real purpose, their futures flapping about in the wind like a tattered flag until-_ _

__"Until what", Stretch didn't know. Maybe some big universe-eating creature would come through and have a little snack? It seemed about as plausible as anything else he'd heard._ _

__But what he DID know was that Chara's regaining their body had grounded more than just their spirit. It grounded their mind. The first place this happened had been in Stretch's world, and, after spending unknown amounts of time saving and freeing what universes they could, the toll of Chara's past started to rise again._ _

__Finally, they came to Frisk and decided they NEEDED to fix themselves._ _

__That's why they were back in Stretch's world. It had felt the most safe to Chara, outside of their original world. Their parents (wowee, had it been a shocker to learn they'd been the adopted child of King Asgore and Queen Toriel at one point...or several points? Ugh, whatever) knew they existed again but they weren't ready to return to that old world. They felt their influence over the prince-turned-flower-turned-prince-again and Frisk had been too damaging. They weren't ready to face some of the people they knew again._ _

__Not as they were, anyway._ _

__So they were trying to get their bearings and come to terms with what had happened and who they were in what was relatively the universe equivalent of a new town to them._ _

__That's why they'd had Frisk bring over the Underfell Brothers, too._ _

__Once he put the pieces together, Stretch felt like the lowest of the low. He didn't know much about the Fells' world, but knowing what he did now about Chara, he was surprised how he could have been so blind to it all._ _

__The previous runs where Chara had what seemed like moments of madness, where they lashed out with that feral look on their face and vicious, wild eyes that stared right through you as they shook and trembled with hollow laughter? Fucking _panic attacks_. BAD ones. Stretch knew a few monsters that had survived the war that sealed them Underground, and more than a few that barely managed to escape cave-ins or other accidents that dusted their loved ones. He should have put the facts together sooner._ _

__The hypervigilence._ _

__The way Chara slept so uneasily out in the open at times, especially when they were stressed._ _

__The way they always seemed to take in their surroundings and hovered near walls where they could face the entrance to the room._ _

__How quiet they were at times, seeming to analyze the conversation before adding to it. Or, when they did, sometimes saying something that seemed strangely mature or even inappropriately out of place._ _

__The way they could never quite let their guard down, wearing a constant expression to mask what they were really feeling._ _

__Edge and Red...they were the same as Chara, weren't they?_ _

__Yeah, sure, they behaved a bit differently, Red using crude or dark humor and self-deprecating jokes while Edge was forever speaking in a commanding tone and looking like everyone had insulted his mother, but it was the same. In fact, Edge and Chara behaved so similarly that, at times, they appeared cut from the same cloth. Especially now that Chara was hanging out with Edge more and picking up some of his rigid self-discipline._ _

__If Stretch had known some of what Chara had done without the full story a few days ago, they'd probably be at the start of another RESET right now. As it was, of all the emotions running through Stretch right now (horror, sadness, anger, incredulity, and more than a little awe), distrust no longer had a place._ _

__If Chara - a mere child who had experienced all they had - had their kill counts (in some cases _for funsies_ ) being off the charts, how could he judge Red and Edge any more without getting to know them?_ _

__He looked back inside and saw Chara turn fitfully under the covers, turning to face the open window. Stretch stubbed out his cigarette on the damp wall and went back inside, careful to close the door without waking them up. Then, he walked over to the sleeping child and looked down at them, their facial features scrunched up with the telltale signs of a bad dream._ _

__If Stretch could look past the flesh, through all of the muscle and sinews that lay beneath, leaving the bones as bare and exposed as his own, he knew that he would find reflected there a smaller mirror image of a very familiar monster._ _

__A killer of other monsters._ _

__But...through what circumstances?_ _

__Maybe if the case was different. If his brother had actually been hurt or worse, if his own universe had been subjected to the horrors that doomed Undertale to Resets upon Resets, or if he, himself, had to face down this child at the end of the Judgment Hall, then perhaps, he could find it in his soul to judge them._ _

__But now? The way things were?_ _

__Knowing time was tentative, an obscure concept to that scrawny creature..._ _

__Of a past filled with horrors that broke their mind, of obtaining a power that pushed them over the edge..._ _

__Of recognizing they needed help and sought refuge in a world cut off from their home, and had done their damnedest to reforge a life and rebuild themselves up into as healthy and normal of a person as they could be...?_ _

__Stretch stooped over and let his hand fall gently through the air, coming to rest on the sleeping child's head. As he tenderly brushed his bony fingers across their face, pushing aside some of the thick brown strands and tucking them behind Chara's exposed ear, he found that, now that he had some answers, he needed the rest._ _

__He pulled his phone out of his pocket and brought up the Undernet browser. On the screen was the last picture he'd come to on Red's wall:_ _

__A group photo featuring six people: two sets of brothers, and a pair of humans._ _

__His eyes honed in on the softly smiling child standing beside Chara._ _

__Perhaps, after their nap, they would be willing to tell him what he should have learned from Edge and Red in the first place._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to go with the idea that the universes aren't just timelines that pop up because a bit of code got smudged during a RESET, but alternate universes entirely that somehow exist because of...things. Let's just say Asriel, Chara and Frisk are all catalysts behind this weird Groundhog Day setup, and Gaster is involved. All three of the kids - as it will be explained - exist, but only the humans don't have counterparts. I know some AUs have Monster Kid in place of Asriel, but to keep it less confusing, I've basically made it into "Once Asriel is saved, the timeline is stabilized". Stretch doesn't know all the details because I need everyone to stay Underground for the setting of this story. And Temmie's not dead, he's just...somewhere? Eh? I dunno. Stuck at the bottom of a junk pile at the dump for all I know. 
> 
> Let's face it - trying to make all of the universes in UT fanon make sense all at once can get a bit crazy, but I needed some way to get both humans and the UF! Bros into Underswap via credible-ish reasons. 
> 
> Eventually, I might do a story where I stop turning the whole UF!verse into what's basically Error!Sans bait. But today is not that day!
> 
> As for Chara...
> 
> You can speculate what you will about what made Chara canonically hate all humans, but it probably wasn't because their parents didn't get them a pony for their seventh birthday. 
> 
> I didn't want to throw the UF! Bros in here like they were saints. No, they came from a bad realm, and they have dust on their hands. They're good guys but they're survivors. However, they have obvious LV - Chara, due to their ability to RESET, does not. Stretch remembers the Resets he's endured, but Chara has pretty much been on their best behavior (for a traumatized kid with godlike powers of time control, anyway), so he trusts them because he had, up to this point, thought of them as a kid who did things a scared kid with issues might. They're also human, so he's already put them into another category than he views other monsters. 
> 
> Red and Edge are adults and monsters. Plus, Blue's giving Red goo-goo eyes. He's going to think of them differently and act accordingly.
> 
> And, since Stretch is mostly a laid back monster in this who hasn't had to deal with his brother ever actually dying, he's already starting to go back to his "live and let live" personality because this is getting too out of hand for him and he just wants to make things right.
> 
> TL;DR: Making sense of the UT! multiverse is hard, I needed a reason to have Asriel out of the picture so I could focus on other characters, and I wanted a legitimate reason for everyone to deserve their hug at the end of the day!


	8. CHAPTER EIGHT: "Frisk's Hope"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk comes to check on Chara and spreads a little of their DETERMINATION to Stretch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much angst...  
> Here, have an excuse to see Frisk being their adorably helpful self.

CHAPTER EIGHT: "Frisk's Hope"  
———————

Frisk showed up on Stretch's doorstep a little past four in the afternoon.

Chara was still sleeping on the couch, so Stretch met them at the door the moment he saw the telltale purple-striped sweater heading toward his home. He greeted them with a finger to his lips and motioned them inside before pointing toward their snoozing friend. Whatever nightmare the older child had been having had ceased long ago, and now Chara lay peacefully bundled up, oblivious to the rest of the world. Frisk smiled as Stretch slipped over to pull the front window curtains closed so Chara would feel more comfortable when they awoke before he headed into the kitchen, Frisk following at his heels.

He gestured to the table and the child took a seat. Stretch offered them food or a drink, but they declined, shaking their head. Shrugging, Stretch soon joined them.

"So," he began softly, "will one of you tell me how you knew I was going to be home today?"

Frisk informed him Alphys had been in contact with the Fell Brothers, and it had been easy to overhear them when the skeletons were arguing over it in the same room the kids were in. 

Stretch sighed. "I think that was about the only thing Chara didn't tell me today," he said. Frisk regarded him with a puzzled look. "I heard about where you all came from. What happened to Chara. What happened to you after you fell."

They looked scared for a moment, but Stretch put a comforting hand on theirs and gave them a reassuring smile.

"Calm down, kid," he told them. "Now, I wasn't around in that other universe you were in, so I can't say how the guy playing my role back in your old world feels. But you've never done any wrong to me. Neither has Chara. They've made mistakes, sure, but they fixed them. You don't have to worry about what I think of you."

Frisk visibly relaxed at that, although their face still remained a bit scrunched. They asked if Chara revealed anything about their past on the Surface. 

Stretch felt the magic bubble up within him, and saw the slight light dance across the child's face, reflecting the flashing of his own eyelights. He willed the magic down and tried to steady himself. "They did."

Frisk asked if it was really bad. Stretch nodded.

"It isn't my place to say," Stretch said, "but trust me when I say I know why they took a swan dive off into the deep end."

Frisk looked very somber at that but did not press Stretch for any more details.

"Did you know they were going to come tell me?"

Frisk shook their head.

"Then how did you know they'd be over here?"

The child reached into their pocket and presented a tiny crumpled ball of yellowed paper. When unfolded, it revealed a sticky note with Chara's handwriting, informing Frisk of where they went.

"I'm surprised they didn't text you."

Frisk shrugged and said that Chara still preferred doing things the old fashioned way. Stretch thought about it a little, recalling how Chara still liked to doodle notes on the back of their hands and physically go visit someone or call loudly to them rather than use a phone. They probably still had quite a few holdovers from their own time period. 

"So, who all knows about what happened with you guys?"

He wasn't surprised to learn both of the Fell Brothers knew. He was, however, surprised to learn that Red had faced Frisk down in the Judgment Hall. Thankfully, it had never been a match to the death, but it had been impossible for them to ever talk sense into Fell Asgore - even when that Flowey had joined in and tried to restrain him so they could explain. Frisk informed them that it had always ended about as well as one could imagine, and Flowey sometimes didn't survive. It got even worse the times Toriel showed up. 

Stretch didn't ask them to elaborate.

Frisk added that Red tried his best to protect them, but it didn't always work. At first, Edge had only barely tried to help them out, mostly enough just to get them to the border of Snowdin unharmed. However, after a number of runs, Edge eventually did more to distract Undyne and sent them out with as many supplies as their meager stores could offer. They weren't sure why, but Red told them that his brother had his own reasons for "not wanting to get attached".

Stretch fell silent for a moment, staring down at the child he had only a few hours before thought so unassuming and innocent. For one so small and so young, they had been through a great deal that he never would have expected, knew so much more than he ever thought they would. Still, they were just a kid, and a kid he had grievously frightened the day before.

"I'm sorry I scared you yesterday," he said, "and I really am sorry I hurt Red. Us grown-ups don't always make the best decisions when we're not thinking straight."

Frisk told them they knew.

"Huh?"

The child didn't say anything for a few moments, choosing to look at the tabletop and swing their short legs as they dangled from the chair. Finally, they spoke up about life on the Surface, saying how humans often treated one another differently because they were afraid or taught not to do better. They then said that monsters sometimes did that, too, though they weren't nearly as bad because they could always CHECK someone's intentions somewhat and be a bit more comforted by that.

The way they said that, especially about life on the Surface, made Stretch wonder what the kid had experienced before falling.

They then mentioned Red.

What they said about him made Stretch do a double-take.

"Red? Understand what I did? Heh, Frisk, I appreciate you, I really do. But I highly doubt Red's gonna understand."

Frisk shook their head and insisted Red would understand. 

"Alright, _hypothetically_ , say Red did understand," Stretch coalesced. "How am I supposed to talk to him or even apologize if he's blocked me on every front and takes a shortcut every time I show my face? On top of that, Edge is ready to throttle me. Not that I blame him."

Frisk beamed and pointed happily toward themselves.

Stretch shook his head. "Nah, kid, if I showed up with you, Edge'd probably yank you inside before I could get a word out."

Frisk then reached across the table toward Stretch's phone. The skeleton cracked a smile at how their tiny arms struggled to reach before giving into curiosity and sliding the device toward them. Immediately, Frisk's finger flew across the screen and brought up the photo from Red's social media. When Stretch didn't immediately get it, they started jabbing their finger through the air for emphasis toward a certain blue-clad skeleton.

"You want me to ask Blue?" Frisk nodded. Stretch scratched the back of his skull. "Blue's still pretty mad at me. I'm not sure he'd be willing to help." 

Of course, Blue would be a better choice than either Frisk or Chara. At least Blue could stand his ground better, so even if Red did try to yank him into the house and away from Stretch, it wasn't like he could ground Stretch's brother the way he could the two kids. But after what Stretch did, would they be willing to let either of them in the house?

Frisk threw open their arms and grinned.

"We'll all go together?"

They nodded eagerly.

"If you think it will help, then I guess it's worth a shot. Still, I'm not sure even playing by the numbers game will get me in the door. They kinda hate me right now."

Frisk shook their head and waved their arms in a big "X" motion. They then informed Stretch that the brothers didn't hate him. They were worried and upset, yes, and Red was really annoyed about Stretch interrupting his playdates with Blue, but they didn't hate him.

"How can you be so sure, kid?"

Frisk told him Red liked trolling him too much to hate him. Stretch snorted.

"I guess you're right there," he admitted. "But even if I can get Red to let bygones be bygones, I'm not sure about Edge. I did attack his brother, after all."

Frisk just giggled.

Stretch raised an eyebrow. 

"I'm not sure I like that laugh," Stretch drawled suspiciously. "Last time I heard that, _someone_ bellyflopped on me from the couch arm." He reached out and poked Frisk in the side where he knew they were ticklish, causing them to squeak with laughter. "Oh, you find that funny, do you? C'mere, pipsqueak!"

The two of them tousled for a bit, Frisk struggling around in their chair, causing it to scooch across the kitchen floor as they squealed from the onslaught of bony finger tickles. It wasn't until Stretch heard a dull groan behind him that he realized how much noise they'd been making. 

"Wha's all the racket 'bout?" Chara said sleepily, rubbing their eyes. The blanket Stretch had draped over them was slung around their shoulders like a cloak. Stretch shot them an apologetic look. Chara's eyes soon focused on the other person in the room. "Frisk? What are you doing here?"

Frisk told Chara they were looking for them and heard they'd told what happened. They wanted to make sure they were okay. 

Chara smiled. "I'm just fine," they said, drawing a smile from Frisk. Then they turned to look at Stretch. "So, got a game plan for how you're going to apologize to our friends?"

"'Our'?" 

Chara smirked, showing off their teeth a little, and lolled their head back cockily. It looked like Edge wasn't the only skeleton rubbing off on the kid.

"Yeah, 'our'," they insisted. "You've missed out on hanging out with them enough already. You think I'm gonna let you do that to yourself any more?"

Frisk pressed their lips into a thin, tight line, and clapped their hands over their mouth. Stretch could easily see their eyes sparkling with mischief. Chara waved their arms, shushing them, but that just caused Frisk to let out a series of amused squeaks.

Casting a wary glance between the two, Stretch slowly stood. "I have a bad feeling that whatever you two are thinking about is not going to be fun for me."

Frisk let out another squeak before Chara walked over and slung their blanket over them, chair and all. The lump beneath began to giggle uncontrollably, occasionally making stereotypical cartoon ghost noises as they waved their arms. Stretch just shook his head before heading over to the fridge.

"Here, let's get you two little demons a snack. Blue won't let me have a moment's peace if he finds out I let you all go home without anything in your bellies." 

The ghost noises immediately ceased, and soon, Stretch had two human children crowding him like a couple of spoiled cats on nip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what they say: "Smile. It makes people wonder what you're thinking."  
> Stretch is pretty sure all kids are weird, but Frisk and Chara take the metaphorical cake.
> 
> Also, I have probably had more fun with writing how Chara is being a duckling toward the Fell Brothers and emulating them they way small children often do their parents or other older figures they idolize. In this, I see Chara as roughly between 10-12 here while Frisk is around 7-9, though their levels of maturity reflect more of their pasts and the time periods they've lived in. 
> 
> Now, when it comes to Frisk...  
> I tried very hard to write this chapter with the game mechanics in mind. A lot of stories have Frisk using sign language or being selectively mute, while others go the more talkative route. I went with the "leave it up to your imagination" way. So, what d you all think of the way I wrote their "dialogue"?
> 
> Up next: Blue gets home from work and speaks to Stretch for the first time since yesterday's incident.


	9. CHAPTER NINE: "A Brotherly Bond Mended"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blue and Stretch speak to each other again for the first time since the incident.

CHAPTER NINE: "A Brotherly Bond Mended"  
———————

Blue walked into the house at almost a quarter after five. Stretch saw his brother before he saw Stretch, and noticed the troubled look on his face. Blue got tired, the same as any other monster, but even after a day of sentry duty and recalibrating traps, he often had a lot of leftover energy. Today, he looked more like someone who'd just ended a shift in retail. The mixture of exhaustion and ponderous frustration made him seem like...well...most any other monster his age after they got off work.

At this point, Stretch and the kids were sandwiched together on the couch. The television droned on with Napstabot reviewing the week's top music hits. A brief clip of the robot's latest music video played - a tactic that usually hyped up the entire household as they waited to see the piece in its entirety at the end of the program. Today, however, Stretch stared through it, trying to go over the game plan the humans helped him fashion before his brother's arrival.

The smaller skeleton barely seemed to notice the television, shucking off his boots and dropping the small lunchbox Chara had given him by the door. He took a few steps before finally noticing he had company. His eyes, which had been dully glowing circles only moments before, momentarily brightened upon seeing Chara throw up their arm and Frisk's eager wave. Upon noticing his brother being used to prop up both children, his eyelights dimmed for a moment and a slightly crestfallen look flashed across his features, but he quickly recovered.

Stretch picked up the remote and began turning the TV volume down as Blue spoke.

"Chara? Frisk? What Are You Doing Over Here? Not That I'm Not Happy To See You, Of Course, But Shouldn't You Two Be At Home, Doing Your Homework?"

While the Underground did have several academies, most monsters still chose to do most of their children's early education at home - a holdover from pre-Surface times when formal education was hardly yet a concept. There were basic standardized tests for a curriculum devised by Queen Toriel many years ago that were required for children to pass through various levels of education and before they could enter one of the handful of universities available, so there were plenty of materials that the two skeleton families had been able to glean for Chara and Frisk's use. Edge and Blue had been particularly stringent about the two of them studying to better themselves during the short time they were with them, and Blue still took it upon himself to go over the educational guidelines checklist with Edge so the humans wouldn't be too far behind monster children of the same age.

Frisk sunk down in the blanket, pulling Stretch's arm across themselves as if to shield themselves from Blue's cursory look. Chara, on the other hand, just scoffed and waved him off.

"We can finish that stuff later, Blue," the child said. "Right now, we have something a little more important to take care of."

Blue, still pointedly ignoring his brother, crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh? And Is This 'Important' Business Of Yours Worth Risking The Consequences?"

The "consequences" meant the weekly dessert Blue fixed. He wasn't big on sweets and did his best to see that Stretch, the children, and sometimes the Fells had healthy, nutritionally dense meals on a regular basis. At one point, however, he conceded that the humans were soon going to follow in Stretch's habit of hitting up Muffet's for far too many sugary treats, he'd started doing a once-a-week treat spread of his own (much healthier) making for whenever Chara and Frisk worked hard after their tutoring sessions.

Chara and Frisk both nodded as one, surprising Blue.

"Besides, if you help," Chara added, "we'll be done with plenty of time to hit the books."

Then they looked at Stretch.

Taking his cue, the skeleton untangled himself from both the blanket and humans and stood, walking over to his brother. He slouched a little, trying to put himself more on Blue's height as he normally did when he was trying to appease the emotional little skel. Stretch shot Blue a wry smile in response to the (mild) return of his hardened look.

"Blue," he began, "I know I put you through a lot yesterday. I was just...well, you're all the family I've got, Bro. I'll admit, I made some very foolish mistakes in trying to protect you, and as stupid as they were, I just didn't want anyone to hurt you. I just didn't expect that person would be me."

He heaved a sigh. "When I saw what looked like dust on your scarf, I panicked. I thought my worst nightmares had come true. Yeah, I should have CHECKed Red, or talked to him, but by that point, I'd already convinced myself I needed to be suspicious of him so much that I...Stars, Sans, it felt like my entire world had been shattered! I thought you were gone, and it was because of someone I-I hadn't been able to protect you from. It...it was all m-my fault and-!"

Stretch mentally swore as he felt the magic bubbling up around his eye sockets and threaten to spill over. He didn't know he was going to feel so wretched thinking back to the moment he thought he lost Blue. Blue had never been in any real danger, so why did he still feel like his SOUL was being crushed?

To his surprise, Blue's cold expression lifted, leaving behind nothing but the look of a concerned brother. His eyelights' shone brightly, causing the tears collecting beneath them to almost sparkle. An ugly sob tore itself free from Stretch and he shouted his brother's name, collapsing into the arms of the smaller monster as guilt and grief washed over him anew. As his knees buckled, Blue gently lowered him to the floor, rubbing a comforting hand over his back as he crooned soft words to soothe him. Within seconds, two pairs of warm, fleshy arms soon joined Blue's, and Stretch shook, his bones slightly rattling as he buried his face into Blue's battle body, the memory of how he thought Blue had been torn from him, of Red's terrified face, and of Edge's horror at having nearly had Red ripped out of his life over a stupid, _stupid_ misunderstanding hit him full force.

"Blue," Stretch wheezed, "Sans, I'm so, so sorry!"

"There, There, Brother. I Know, I Know. I'm Sorry, Too."

Stretch's confusion allowed him a moment's reprieve from his deluge of emotions. "Why are you sorry? I'm the one who fu- I mean, messed up."

Blue stopped rubbing his back and gave his brother a comforting squeeze. "I Am Sorry As I Knew How Silly You Were Being. I Should Have Brought You And Red Both Together And Had The Two Of You Talk Things Through Instead Of Letting It Get To This Point."

Wiping his eyes on his hoodie sleeve, Stretch leaned back and shook his head. "Nah, Blue, it wasn't your fault. If I'd listened to you..." He felt his face flare up with embarrassment. 

Blue patted his brother on the head. "You May Be Taller Than Me Now, But You Forget Now And Then 'Tis _I_ Who Am The Older Brother Here! Mweh heh!"

Stretch let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Yeah, I guess I did. I didn't mean to disparage your good judge of character, Bro."

His brother clapped his hands onto Stretch's shoulders. "Papy, I Know Red And Edge Can Be Intimidating At Times-"

' _Their Levels of Violence_ , anyway,' came the implication.

"-But They Really ARE Good Monsters! Red May Give You A Hard Time, But He Reminds Me A Lot Of You. You Both Have A Great Deal In Common, And I Know You Two Would Make Great Friends Once You Have Apologized!"

Blue's eponymous cobalt eyes flared back into their trademark star shapes, and the boundless energy surged back into his voice. Stretch hadn't realized just how dark and empty his day had been without his brother's exuberant presence. He wiped the remaining tears from his face. "So you don't hate me, Bro?"

Blue looked aghast. "OF COURSE NOT! YOU ARE MY LITTLE BROTHER! I COULD NEVER HATE YOU, PAPY!" Before Stretch could reply, Blue waved a warning finger in his face. "HOWEVER!...EVEN THOUGH I KNOW I KNOW WHY YOU DID IT, I AM STILL UPSET WITH YOU FOR NEARLY DUSTING MY FRIEND."

Stretch grinned. Feeling a bit better, he couldn't help the sly remark that escaped him. "And here I thought Red was your 'bonefriend', Blue,"

Frisk giggled as they clung to Stretch, and Chara promptly began teasing Blue in the same manner as a kindergartener might pester their school chum over their puppy love. Magic flooded Blue's bones, rushing like wildfire from the pools on his cheeks until nearly his entire skull and cervical vertebra had turned a deep azure. 

For the first time in almost two days, Stretch laughed freely.

After watching Blue become a spluttering mess, Stretch finally decided that he didn't want his brother to spontaneously combust from embarrassment. "It's alright, Bro," he said, the other skeleton letting out a whine at his being picked on, "I know you like Red. And I see now he really cares for you, too."

He really hated to admit that, but if it made Blue happy, he was willing to endure any future trolling Red had in store for him. 

That was, IF Stretch hadn't blown it for his bro.

"Papy..."

Stretch's hand came to rest on his brother's shoulder. "I'm sorry I tried to get between you two. Really, I am. If Red makes you happy and treats you well, then that's enough for me." 

"Thank You, Brother," Blue said before bringing his brother back into another hug. "You Don't Realize How Much That Means To Me."

Suddenly, Stretch heard Chara clear their throat beside him. He looked over as the child's arms slid away from hugging him and stood. "Not to break up the brotherly love fest going on here," they said with a smirk, "but Red should be getting home from work soon. Blue," they asked, "will you go with us? Red'll have a harder time yanking three of us inside the house than just Frisk and me. Having you there might make him feel a little less on edge, too."

"Yeah, especially after yesterday," Stretch added, "not that I'm proud of the circumstances, but seeing how strong you've gotten almost _blew me away_." Blue groaned at the pun as Frisk tittered with laughter. Chara groaned, too, but it was obvious from their grin that they were holding in their mirth. "So, will you help, Blue?"

Blue stood with arms akimbo and stuck out his chest. "MWEH HEH HEH! OF COURSE! I, THE MAGNIFICENT SANS, AM OBVIOUSLY THE ONLY LOGICAL CHOICE FOR A MEDIATOR FOR THE TWO SKELETONS I CARE FOR THE MOST!"

The blue blush only flushed halfway across his face this time, and Stretch found himself feeling much more hopeful about Frisk's plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another dialogue-heavy chapter which probably could have been summed up with "Blue forgave Stretch and immediately hopped on the idea of helping out with Stretch's apology to Red", but I felt like that might be glossing over a chance to show Blue's depth of character and some of their brotherly bond. Stretch needed to clear things up with Blue, and I was conflicted over whether I should rob you of the meat of this scene and continue onward (longer prose won out).
> 
> Plus, y'all needed a few warm fuzzies up in here before Stretch and Red have their Big Talk.


	10. CHAPTER TEN: "Red's Unwanted Guest"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stretch goes to apologize to Red.  
> Red treats him pretty much how one would expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for Red being a cynical, spiteful little shit who needs a fuckton of hugs and maybe a vacation.

CHAPTER TEN: "Red's Unwanted Guest"  
————————

Blue had insisted the children stay for supper since it was so late. ("No Use Getting Started On Something Important If All You Can Think About Is Your Empty Stomach!" he had said.)

Stretch, however, could only pick at his food and anxiously glance at the clock, hoping soon that he could just get this over with. Blue eventually capped a hand on his brother's shoulder and offered to wrap his meal up for later while Stretch took a smoke break. He was a little surprised at his older brother's allowing him to indulge in what Blue considered a filthy habit. It was and even Stretch knew that, but the desire for nicotine was outweighed by his desire to be alone for a few minutes to get his thoughts in order. The fact that the one gave excuses for the other was merely a perk.

Once everything had been tidied up and Stretch felt as ready as he possibly could be, the four started the slow, fated march toward the Fells' residence.

Blue was the one to knock on the door. Stretch noticed movement from the window blinds of the nearest window a few moments before the door cracked open, only just barely enough him to see the chain lock pull taut and a red eyelight blaze into existence. The brow bone over its chosen socket shifted down into a sharp, distrustful slant, and Stretch could sense the magic flaring up around him.

Or, rather, behind him as Chara and Frisk's SOULs were pinged.

Blue put his hands on his hips.

"None Of That, Mister!" he scolded him. 

"Blue..." Red growled out, his eyes focused on Stretch.

"Red, We Talked About This."

A strained silence followed. Blue finally turned and gave his brother a despairing look, and Stretch realized that was his cue to step back. The magic surrounding Chara and Frisk dissipated as Red released them, allowing them to step off the porch with Stretch. Blue and Red spoke in hushed tones for a few minutes, but finally, a harsh sigh billowed out from behind the cracked door, and it closed. Stretch could hear the chain being undone before the door opened again.

Looking down at him from the doorway, Stretch could see how imposing of a figure Red could cut when not caught off guard. While there were a few pinpricks of magic-tinted sweat here and there across his skull, the rest of Red looked full well the seasoned veteran of his dangerous homeworld. He wore his old coat now, not the red parka Blue had given him to match his magic, but the one he'd arrived in. The ruff of his fur-trimmed black coat fluffed out like a lion's mane, and his old sweater - red as human blood - poked out from beneath. 

Red snarled down at him. "i'm only doing this 'cause blue and the humans asked me to, got it?" Then, to Stretch's surprise, Red stepped back and invited him in. He must have noticed the bewilderment on Stretch's face, as he quickly added, "i know your dumba..." he cut himself off after receiving a look from Blue. "i know you can teleport, and it's easier to do it this way than to have you shortcut into one of the burglar traps. now, you just gonna stand there all day or what?"

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Stretch ambled over, entering after Chara and followed by Frisk. Blue entered last, sharing a look with Red. Stretch tried not to let Red notice that he saw Blue brush their fingertips together, taking Red's hand for the briefest of moments and rubbing his thumb across the bony digits. Red made no move to pull away until Blue did.

That was a good sign. At least if Red hated Stretch, there was hope that he wouldn't push his budding relationship with Blue aside of it.

Red finally turned to him, chin partially tucked down, his eyelights squared on Stretch's lanky form. He thumbed toward the living room to where they would apparently be having this meeting.

"Where's Edge?" Chara asked.

"upstairs, in his room," Red told the kid. "why don't you two go listen to that new napstaton album that fishface gave ya'? she wants ya' to try out those new headphones she's been working on."

Frisk made a worried sound and wrapped their little fingers in the sleeve of Chara's shirt. Chara looked a bit concerned, too, but did their best to give Frisk a comforting smile before telling Stretch good luck and heading up the stairs. Blue watched them go.

"you should head up with them," Red said. 

If this day wasn't just full of surprises...

Blue whirled around, shock clearly marring his face, but Red just gave him a slight grin. "don't worry, blueberry, i can handle it. you'll know if i need you."

Stretch got the mental image of Red sending the couch, Stretch and all, sailing up through the floor of whatever room his brother would be in. He turned to his brother for one last look of support and, against what was likely his better judgment, nodded in agreement. Blue looked between the two of them before finally acquiescing. Knowing Blue, after everything that had happened, he'd probably have his skull pressed to the floor trying to listen in the whole time in case another fight broke out.

Slowly, Blue ascended the staircase, his footsteps growing fainter and fainter until reaching one of the bedrooms. Once Stretch heard a door open and close, he turned to look at Red. The other monster had his chin tucked down, hands in his pockets and arms akimbo, a vicious, bitter smile aimed right at him. 

"well, pal? you came all this way to see little ol' me. have a seat," he gestured an arm out toward the sofa. Stretch walked over and took a seat, neither so close to the middle that his lanky form took up the whole thing nor so close to one of the armrests that it looked like he was backed into a corner. Moderation was key here, and Stretch wasn't about to antagonize his unwilling host more than his very presence already did.

As he slumped down onto the faded mass of fabric and wood, he was pleasantly surprised to find how plush it was. Stretch remembered helping Blue drag the old thing from the dump when they were scavenging for furniture for the Fells' new house. It still bore a few ghosts of stains on some of the cushions and looked rather bleached over as a whole, but the torn cushions had been repaired and both the cushions and the backing had been stuffed full of new fluff. If anything, it looked like a new couch, just one that had been shoved into storage and forgotten about for a while.

"tea? coffee?" Red asked. Stretch politely turned him down. The Fell monster let out a hollow chuckle, a mere huff of breath with the barest hint of fake amusement, and deposited himself into a nearby lounge chair. His fake grin widened. "now, see? we fell monsters are pretty hospitable! we don't let little things like 'exp' and 'lv' get in the way of being decent folk. well, unless someone tries to put a bone attack through our skulls, but hey, let's let bygones be bygones."

Red's words dripped with an ever darkening layer of malice, the sarcasm fast being forgotten as his pitch deepened. A flicker of yellow flashed across his eyelights like a wayward flame as he silently regarded Stretch. Stretch said nothing.

"whazza matter, pal? does being in the same room as somebody like me chill you to the bone?"

"No, it doesn't."

Slapping his knee, Red threw his head back and barked out a harsh series of laughs, acting as if what Stretch had said was the funniest thing he had heard in weeks. He fully played it out, too, clutching at his stomach area, his brow bones raising and lowering in incredulous hilarity as he repeated Stretch's words to himself. Stretch watched him roar with laughter for a full minute or so, occasionally casting a glance toward the stairs to see if the noise would summon Blue or Edge. It didn't, and finally the sounds died away with Red miming wiping away a tear of mirth. He raised his head slowly, sinking down and forward to let his elbows rest over his knees, and his tone quickly lost all of the psuedo-lightheartedness it had been slathered in moments prior.

"that's real funny, considering you were so terrified of me dusting your brother the other day you tried to blast me straight out of mt. ebott. personally, not the way i wanted to get to the surface, but..."

When Red saw that his intimidation tactics and jokes failed to get a rise our of Stretch, he frowned and (mostly) dropped the tough guy act.

"so why are you here? come to apologize?" Stretch nodded, and Red sat back, regarding him with a cocksure grin. "well, carrot, let's hear it!"

Stretch couldn't stop the frustrated frown that emerged. "You know I hate that nickname."

Almost excitedly, Red nodded. "oh, i know. you deserve that and quite a few more names, but considering the humans are in the house, i don't think either of our brothers would feel too kindly about my introducing a few new words into their vocabulary."

Knowing that the kids, too, might be listening in confirmed why Red had been so mockingly saccharine sweet and hadn't started yelling at him. Yet. The night was young, after all. Red waved his hand in a degrading manner.

"well, 'carrots'? i'm waiting."

Stretch sucked in a deep breath and let it out. "I'm sorry, Red."

Red capped a hand to the side of his skull. "what's that? couldn't hear ya'."

A little louder, Stretch said, " _I'm sorry_ , Red. By Toriel, I am so, so sorry. I-"

Red shook his head and stuck out a hand. "nah, nah, you can do better than that. how 'bout...hmmm..." the Fell monster stroked his chin for a moment, glancing up at the ceiling and thinking. Then a wicked grin split his face. "let's make this special, alright? not every day your bony as- your _tail_ comes crawling to me to apologize. gotta savor this one."

Stretch watched Red pick up his phone from the coffee table before leaning back in his chair. He held the tiny piece of tech up and pressed a button. A chill ran up Stretch's back. He knew whatever Red had planned, it probably wasn't going to be very good for his dignity.

"What do you want me to do, Red?"

"me?" The grin that split his face was positively _feral_. "i want you to _grovel_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Yeah, yeah, definitely gotta add a "humiliation" tag for the next chapter. O_O  
> Also, I didn't intend for that last part to sound like it could be used for either a horror scene or an entry for Kinktober, but here we go! XD  
> (no, I'm not upping the rating. This Angst/Hurt/Comfort, not PWP)
> 
> I'm gonna go over to my little corner here now, finish drinking my coffee, and contemplate what can of worms I may have opened.
> 
> Toodle-loo~! Comments welcome as always!


	11. CHAPTER ELEVEN: "Begging Your Forgiveness"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red toys with Stretch.  
> Then they decide to act like adults.

CHAPTER ELEVEN: "Begging Your Forgiveness"  
———————

"You want me to what?"

Stretch looked on at Red as the other skeleton reared back with a vicious spark of magic flaring up in one of his eyelights.

"grovel!" Red repeated, "plead. kowtow. prostrate yourself before me like one of those characters in Alphys' anime, even! if you want to _beg_ my pardon, then you're going to do it on your hands and knees."

He held the phone aloft, the bright white light from the darkened camera back reminding Stretch of a third disembodied eyelight.

"well, what are you waiting for?" Red said with almost maniacal glee. "time's a-wastin'! first step to me even considering forgiving you is you getting off that sofa and dragging your lousy carcass across the floor to-"

Without a word, Stretch silently pushed himself up from the couch and looked at Red for a moment. Red started to prattle on, less toward Stretch and more for the audience that would be watching the recording (and oh, yes, Stretch would have been very surprised if Red was recording that for his eyes only). Stretch made to take a step toward him but cast a glance down and realized he should probably move the coffee table for this. He stepped around to the other end, making Red taunt him as the shorter skeleton thought he was chickening out before he saw what he was actually doing.

"aww, looks like he's actually going to do it, folks! looks like ol' carrot's going to trade out honey for a little humble pie!"

The table slid easily enough with the help of the rug underneath, leaving Stretch to cast one last blank look at Red. With a few more words of goading, Stretch walked back around to the empty spot where the table once stood. "So that's it? You want me to beg? That's all?"

Red snorted. "you ain't deaf! you heard what i said."

Stretch stared at him for a moment while Red did a bit more commentary for the camera. Finally, he shrugged and sank down to the floor. He tried to remember the exact way one of the characters Red was talking about would bow, so he ignored Red's raucous remarks and pushed his palms flat onto the floor, making an almost triangle shape between the two before doubling over and touching his head to the prone digits. The action caused Red to roar with mocking laughter.

"holy shit, this is rich! he's actually doing it!" 

Another fit of laughter boiled out of him for a solid two minutes, leaving Stretch to remain curled up like a snail in its shell. A short silence fell over the room after that but Red got impatient. 

"well? the bowing's nice and all, but we need to hear how sorry you really are. c'mon, stretch, time for a word for the folks at home!"

Stretch took in a deep breath and let it out.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

"what was that?"

"I'm sorry, Red."

"louder for the people in the back."

"I'm _sorry_ ," Stretch said, only a little louder than his normal speaking voice. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

He heard what sounded like Red thumping a hand over his chest. "hurt me? oh, you wounded me right to my little soul," he started out sarcastically, his words quickly turning angry, "or you would have, if your brother hadn't showed up. tell me, would you have felt any remorse at having him see you spread my dust across the ground? or would you have even cared? i bet you're here just to shut him and the kids up, aren't you? you aren't really sorry. nah, you still just see a lv number, not the monster who's had to _fucking bear it_."

Red's last words came forth in a growl, the rage and bitterness plain in them. It was then a thought occurred to Stretch. The brothers claimed they did what they had to to survive, but what if that hadn't meant just growing stronger or as par for the course with their jobs? There was an immense pain behind the harsh admonition, stemming back what was likely some very traumatic memories.

His mind flitted to his brother's smiling face and altruistic demeanor. Blue was always trying to help others. Heck, he'd fought the "monster" under Frisk's bed when they had a nightmare once when staying at their place. What made him think he would try to help chase away the inner demons inside an emotionally damaged skeleton like Red?

They say hindsight is 20/20, but Stretch wondered if he really had allowed himself to be blinded by suspicion, by _fear_. His sense of clarity returned as if all of the distrust it had been mired in had drained away. Monsters were born of compassion, of light and love. He had considered himself once full of those traits himself, and had once been more understanding of monsters like himself: unmotivated, trying not to show how taxing some days were in comparison to others, just doing all they could to put one foot in front of the other some days.

When had he stopped?

When had he lost his sense of empathy?

And so, he apologized.

From the depths of his very SOUL came an outpouring of his acknowledged wrongs. With shame, he revealed how he had admonished his brother about sharing Red's company, and how much it had worried him that Red might possibly be manipulating him. He admitted he should have just listened to start and asked questions until he learned what he needed instead of making assumptions, and while Red's trolling later did not help, Stretch himself should have tried to stir the conversation back on track. 

"I only wanted to protect my brother," Stretch said, "and I went about it all wrong. But when I thought I lost him, I...snapped. I wasn't in control any more. All I could think about was that my worst fears had come through and the one person who has always been a constant in my life, the one person that always cared despite my being little more than dead weight to hold him back at times was just...gone. I-"

"okay. enough."

Stretch raised his head to see a far less wicked, sobering look on Red's face. With a rumble from his throat, Red pressed a button on the phone and the little light indicating a rolling recording winked out. As he pocketed the cell, he used the other to gesture for Stretch to rise.

"get up already," he said, pointedly not looking at Stretch, "you look like an idiot."

As he raised up from him bow, Stretch said, "I suppose my looks match how I feel."

Red huffed. "just get outta the floor. and put our table back while you're at it."

Stretch did as he was told before taking a seat on the couch - this time, much closer to Red (upon invitation by said skeleton). He texted something on his phone (possibly relaying news and/or the video to Blue or Edge) before stowing it away in his pocket. He gave Stretch a once over before holding up a hand.

"alright, you've proven that you're willing to let me humiliate you in order to get my revenge," Red started, "and if i really wanted to milk that for all it was worth, i'd have you run a bunch of errands or be my personal slave for a week or some garbage like that. but we're not two. we're going to settle this like mature adult monsters should."

The Fell skeleton raised a hand.

"i'm going to initiate an encounter, alright? i promise i won't attack you," he added, his words firm and steady in the tone one might speak to an injured or frightened animal, "so long as you don't attack me again. i'm going to check your soul and make sure you're telling me the truth. are you willing to let me do that?"

Hesitantly, Stretch nodded. Red searched his gaze for a moment before deciding it wasn't a feint, and then a familiar _ping!_ latched onto something deep within his chest. He felt the telltale curl of scouting magic zero in on his life's core, and sniff out the intentions surrounding it. Still, Stretch tried to project his guilt toward them, desperately wanting Red to understand that he really and truly regretted what he had done. Of course, his fears leaked through as well, and he could only hope that it helped Red understand where he was coming from rather than feel he might be attacked or viewed with suspicion again.

As Red completed his CHECK on Stretch's SOUL, his eyelights sank into pinpricks and his brow ridges rose in almost amazement. He looked Stretch over, as if seeing him for the first time. With the encounter now passing to Stretch's turn, Stretch immediately CHECKed Red's stats, ignoring all but the very last bit of information:

*Willing to give you a second chance.

Shortly after, the encounter ended. As the magic disentangled from Stretch's SOUL, Red asked, "see? could've done this a few days ago and saved all of us a bunch of trouble."

The malice and sarcasm were now gone from his voice, leaving a sobering honesty in their place. For a long while, Red said nothing more, choosing instead to stare at some spot on the carpet. A tiny clinking noise was made as Red tapped his fingertips together, his head bobbing slightly as if he were agreeing to some unheard conversation. Finally, he glanced over and fixed Stretch with an unreadable look. The malleable bone plates that served as skeletal eyelids slid over his hollow sockets and he sighed.

Red rubbed a hand over the smooth plates of his skull and shook his head.

"i'm probably gonna regret this," he said, likely more to himself than Stretch. Giving Stretch a skeptical look, he slumped over and waved a hand up, "but seeing as how you obviously meant everything you said...i believe you."

Only a few days prior, Stretch would have wondered if those words were leading him into a trap. Now, though? After everything Red could have done while he had Stretch at his most vulnerable - not once, but TWICE - without anyone around to help him? 

He still might not have trusted Red fully, but if the other was willing, he was willing to learn.

"if you want to earn that second chance, i'm game if you are," Red said, sticking out a hand.

Stretch looked at the bony digits and raised a brow ridge, the hint of a smirk toying at his teeth. "You're still going to give me hell over this for a while, aren't you?"

The Fell skeleton grinned. "you bet your ass i will."

As his hand closed around Red's offered hand, a chuckle escaped Stretch. The interaction felt smooth, normal even. The only thing he felt that was missing was a reprimanding retort from Blue over their language, and he still half expected to hear that yell echo down from the ceiling at any moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At least when they decided to bury the hatchet, it didn't end up with the blade lodged in one of their skulls, yeah?
> 
> So we have Red willing to give Stretch another chance, and it's up to Stretch to take it. How's he going to do that? We'll see.  
> He's also got one more skeleton left who needs an apology...will that be as easy as it was with Red?


	12. CHAPTER TWELVE: "Reconciliation and a Brother's Blessing"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red gives Stretch a second chance.  
> Stretch gives Red something in return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Week's been busy so I didn't get to update this as fast as I wanted to.

CHAPTER TWELVE: "Reconciliation and a Brother's Blessing"  
—————————

Stretch hadn't expected Red to be willing to work on forgiving him so quickly. And he most certainly didn't expect him to shake hands and be willing to start all over again from the beginning. He had no reason to trust that Stretch wouldn't use what the Fell monster said against him, and yet, here he was, he was still willing to work with him.

In a way, Red was mostly repeating what he had told Stretch before, he just expanded upon it. He was willing to answer any of the questions Stretch had, but he never volunteered anything. Whatever Stretch wanted to learn, he had to work for it, had to prove he was willing to think outside of the box and learn about just who his neighbors were.

He figured Red had been willing to try to enlighten him was partially due to Stretch being Blue's brother, or perhaps even having Frisk or Chara tell him that things would be alright (or that outcomes had not yet happened). What he didn't expect was that Red had been in his same position before.

Their world may have been hell, but their mad king enforced stringent laws protecting children - well, _monster_ children, anyway. Still, there were always those out there willing to break the rules should the opportunity present itself. Especially to two orphaned skeletons.

It seemed the two of them had more in common than he thought.

Stretch had been willing to dust someone who he thought had hurt his brother.

Red actually _had_.

And, given that Red was pretty much a child himself when he had to resort to such extremes - and one with HP in the one-hit KO range - it wasn't surprising that things got...messy. But as much of a pacifist as Stretch usually was, he couldn't deny what sheer terror of losing a brother might do to a monster. And Red understood that.

He was still ticked off to no end at Stretch, but he actually knew where Stretch had been coming from.

And, honestly? If Red's powers were anything like his and Blue's, then it was probably only luck and Red's getting disoriented from that blow to the head that even kept Stretch from getting his ass handed to him.

Stretch felt worse remembering the wound he had inflicted. He only barely caught a glimpse of the crack he had inflicted on the back of Red's skull, and it hadn't even hit him exactly what he had done until Edge freaked out. 

"How's your head?" Stretch asked in the middle of his line of questioning.

Red merely thumped the side of his head with thumb and forefinger. "good as new," Red told him, "though, if i ever have to resort to drinking anything with spiders in it again? just tell chara to let me die."

Stretch couldn't help the chuckle that rolled out of him at that. He apologized, but Red waved him off.

"meh, what's a few nearly lethal licks between friends, anyway?" he said with a grin. Stretch's brow bones raised. There's no way he could have meant that. Friends? After what he did? Red chuckled, letting him know he had been thinking aloud before thumbing toward the stairs. "you think i'd let the kiddos stay here if i was that worried? and they're _humans_. but, like you, they seemed to have learned their lesson."

Sparing him a small thankful smile, Stretch nodded. He heard the door creak open upstairs - a strained one, followed by a shorter, quicker squeak, as if whomever had opened the door had forgotten how the hinges howled and instinctively yanked it back. A moment later, Red's phone pinged and he looked at it.

"heh, blue's wondering if we're done yet. the kids are getting antsy."

"Are we?" Stretch asked.

"unless you have more questions?"

Stretch shook his head. Not now, but he was willing to be a listening ear to Red after this. Red nodded and shot a quick text on his phone. A few moments later, the squeak was heard again, and the sound of pounding footsteps came running. Frisk was first, with Chara quickly pulling up in front of them with their slender frame puffed up as much as possible to block them from a potential wayward attack. Stretch had to admit that the kid's training was showing through and wondered if they would make a guard themselves one day.

Chara's eyes scanned the room, with Frisk's head popping up over their shoulders as they stood on tiptoes to see. After Red waved them in, Chara visibly relaxed, allowing Frisk to duck under their arm and practically leap over the side of the chair to tackle Red in a hug. The skeleton laughed, tousling their hair as Chara plodded over, a weary but happy smile on their face. They stopped for a moment to share a nod at Red as he admonished them for worrying too much, and then came over to take a seat by Stretch. The moment Chara sank onto the couch, they placed a hand on Stretch's shoulder and nodded, giving him an approving smirk.

Frisk asked Red if he and Stretch were friends now.

"Not ye-"

"sure are, kid," Red blurted out, loud enough to cover Stretch's own words. He gave Stretch a wink. "ain't that right, carrot?"

It wasn't a cover. There was no bravado to Red's response, no taunt, no sarcasm. Just plain and blatant honesty. Stretch could only shake his head at the incredulity of it all.

They definitely weren't good friends, but...it was a start, right?

The next to arrive was Blue. He popped his head around the corner and took in the relaxed postures and smiling faces before brightening to his usual intensity. Almost hopping into view, he beamed at the two of them, his hands on his hips.

"MWEH HEH HEH! LOOKS LIKE THE TWO OF YOU ARE FINALLY GETTING ALONG!"

Blue stepped inside the room, and Stretch noticed how he positioned himself close to Red's chair. He shared a smile with Red and the two children. "See, Humans? I Told You It Would Turn Out Alright In The End!"

The surreptitious glances Red and Blue shot one another did not go unnoticed. Chuckling to himself, Stretch pushed himself up from his seat and tucked his hands into his hoodie pockets. "You were right, as usual, Bro."

"Mweh heh! Of Course, I Was! The Great and Magnificient Sans Is Well-Known For His Good Judgment!"

"Except when you let Alphys try to talk you into that cooking competition," Chara reminded them. "If Hotland wasn't already full of lava, you might have set half the Underground on fire."

Blue merely grinned. "Yes, But I Still Won!"

Stretch walked over to his brother and put a hand on his shoulder. "You do have good judgment, though, Sans," he told the shorter skeleton, "in both friends and everything else." He gave a pointed look to Red before turning back to his brother. "I'm sorry I caused such a mess. Red here? He's a pretty good guy."

Blue bobbed his head. "I Know He Is!" He didn't see the strange look Red and Frisk shared between one another, nor Red shifting to set up at attention as the kid slid out of his lap. Stretch gave him a slow nod and a warm smile.

"I know it might not mean much after how I've acted, but I just want you two to know you have my blessing."

Red didn't seem like he was expecting that in the slightest. Frisk beamed happily, looking back to share what was obvious joy with Chara. Blue, however, instead of bouncing around in happiness, actually stayed still. His hands began to shake and his eyelights shimmered as the tiniest stream of magic glistened at the corners of his sockets.

In a strangely quiet (for Blue, anyway) voice, Blue told him, "That's All I Ever Wanted, Papy." Stretch allowed himself to be wrapped up in a hug. Red stared at him for a moment, the bewilderment plain on his face. He really hadn't expected Stretch to support him dating Blue, had he? Well, if Red was really the sort of monster Stretch was learning that he was, then Stretch had no qualms about someone like that being with his older brother.

He just really hoped it would be a while before Red was able to make jokes about getting to be his older brother, too. Nope. Stretch gave his brother a squeeze. Blue might have been older than him, but Stretch was not ready to let him leave the next yet. 

Just...maybe let a little slack in the line. Baby steps, baby steps...

Pulling out of the hug, he clapped Blue on the shoulder and walked past him.

"wait, where are you going?" Red called out.

"Where else? I still have to apologize to-"

As Stretch turned the corner, he came face to face with a very familiar scowl.

"-Edge."

"oh, hey, boss," Red said, noticing his brother had joined them, "how long have you been there?" 

The tone in his voice clearly implied that he had been well aware of how long Edge had been there. Stretch felt a bit of magic trickle along his cheekbones. He hadn't said anything he hadn't meant, but it was still a little embarrassing to be overheard. Still, this did save a bit of time and wasn't anything he wouldn't have relayed to Edge anyway.

Edge didn't have an unusually hardened look to his face, but he still regarded Stretch with the distrustful grimace he did most everyone the few weeks after he arrived. It was a start. Stretch let his hands fall from his pockets, palms open.

"Hey. I was coming to see you."

"So I heard."

Edge's voice was clear and even, devoid of its dire warning. Yeah, definitely a step in the right direction.

The guard glanced to his brother, then back to Stretch, staring into his eyes as if searching for something. Finally:

"Let's take a walk," Edge told Stretch, "just you and me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any grammar mistakes. I was eager to get this posted before work.
> 
> Remember, comments are my pirate treasure, so gimme dat booty!


	13. CHAPTER THIRTEEN: "Coming Full Circle"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edge finally confronts Stretch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! Hope you all have enjoyed this little vignette!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: "Coming Full Circle"  
————————

Talking things through with Red made Stretch feel like he had a second chance, but being confronted by Edge left him feeling like his doom was upon him. He had no idea where he was going. All he knew was that once Red had managed to convince Blue and the humans to remain behind, Stretch followed Edge like a loyal dog.

They had been walking for a very long time now. Edge had said nothing upon leaving the house and had simply begun walking. Stretch initially tried to keep up so as not to inconvenience the very person he needed to apologize to, but found himself slowing as he tired. Instead of snapping at him, however, Edge had wordlessly slackened his pace, falling into lockstep by his side. He seemed to face forward most of the time after that, scarcely regarding the puzzled monster by his side. As each step took him farther and farther from the house, the more Stretch fell his insides churn - or, well, the magic where his insides should be if he wasn't a skeleton. Every plodding step, each additional crunch of snow felt heavier and heavier, weighed down by a somber, almost fated feeling.

At one point, they began heading off the road, and slowly, it began to dawn on Stretch where they were headed.

Once they neared the clearing where Stretch and Red had fought, Stretch stopped. Edge continued deeper in, stopping finally when he reached the path where Sans had crawled, desperate to get away from him. Stretch could see the snow still torn up and the prints of skeletal hands and the marks of various kneeling creatures surrounding them.

Edge stared down at it for several long moments, saying nothing.

Did Edge expect him to apologize here? 

It was strange, but if that's what Edge wanted after Stretch attacked and nearly dusted his brother, then far be it for him to deny that.

However, as he opened his mouth the speak, he heard Edge's words, as sharp and clear as cut glass, resonate across the meadow:

"You are a most fortunate monster, Stretch," Edge said, still staring down at the snow. "Other monsters have attacked my brother before, thinking he was weak and unwanted simply due to his low HP, his lack of stamina, and his laziness."

Stretch said nothing, and continued to listen to the calm yet disquieting tone in Edge's voice.

"Do you know what happened to monsters like that?"

The Swap monster shook his head, but Edge remained staring down at the snow. The guard clenched his fists, causing the leather to make a soft squelching noise as his hands began to tremble. Then, he turned and stared right at Stretch, his red eyelights exuding the faintest vapor trail of rising magic.

"I made sure they never did it again."

Before Stretch could react, a blur of red, white and black barreled into him, slamming his body back into the nearest tree without even the courtesy of entering an encounter. No, it was clear that Edge was angry enough to fight dirty, and Stretch knew without a doubt that the gloved fist wrenching itself into his hoodie didn't need any more magic to strengthen it than what already held the bones together.

Edge shoved him roughly against the bark, driving a crooked nub of a long-since missing tree branch into Stretch's spine. His face was mere inches from Edge's own, those eyelights a blazing inferno billowing out from the hollow recesses of his skull. Edge's grin was wide and vicious but held no mirth, his brow knitted fiercely and his voice lowering, still calm but darker, almost gravely.

"I won't dust you," he promised, "I wouldn't hurt Blue that way. But I'm going to make you wish I _had_. Are we clear?"

Stretch should have known his luck would run out eventually. But he was willing to do whatever it took to gain Edge's forgiveness as well as Red's. Mentally preparing himself for what was to come, he started to shrug off his hoodie - which was a little difficult considering the hand wrapped up in it was trying to drive his sternum right through his vertebra.

"What are you doing?!" Stretch heard Edge screech as he raised his arms and managed to wriggle his way out of his trademark garment. As he slipped the fabric over his head, Edge backed up, stepping back and looking between Stretch and the hoodie as if the latter had started speaking with the former's voice. The guard must have thought Stretch was trying to slip free so he could escape, as the magic had rushed to Edge's face with such fury that his cheekbones looked as thought they had been splashed by a strawberry milkshake.

In order to keep from angering the guard further, Stretch put his hands up, trying to ignore the cold nipping at his bare shoulders. The thin black tank he wore didn't often see the light of day, so even though he had quite the tolerance to extreme temperatures, being in the middle of the forest so near to the river left a damp chill creeping into his bones.

"Just making your job easier," Stretch said with an air of finality, "You want payback for me hurting Red? Then go for it. But don't do it so Blue's going to find out. I already dragged him into this and I'm well aware how close I came to possibly ruining whatever it is he and Red have going on. This is between you and me. I was willing to literally beg your brother for his forgiveness, and I'm sure you were standing outside in the hallway long enough to hear that."

Edge did not deny the accusation. Stretch steeled himself.

"If my taking a beating from you is the only way to show just how sorry I am for everything I've done, I'll do it. So go ahead, Edge. Hit me with your best shot!"

Stretch really hoped Edge would not hit him with his _best_ shot, because he wasn't sure how much his own low HP could take. However, he quickly realized that Edge's rage must have short-circuited his skull or something, as all the other skeleton could do was stand there, shaking, his hand still high in the air where he had released the hoodie, one eye socket slightly twitching as his skeletal eyes formed, his eyelights winking out. Stretch let out a sigh and raised his arms outward, showing he wasn't playing any games.

"Well? Do your worst, pal."

Stretch closed his eyes and waited, just knowing that a moment after the darkness overtook him, he would feel another fist yank in his tank top and a raspy "Gladly" or some other feral response before Edge beat the living daylights out of him.

But the blow never came.

A couple of minutes passed and Stretch flapped his arms a little. "Well?"

He heard a strained noise from Edge before he got what he asked for.

...Sort of.

What hit him felt a lot softer than what he thought Edge's fist would feel like. A lot bigger and colder and - oh, stars, he had snow going down his shirt! 

His eyes snapped open as he struggled to catch the hoodie that was now sliding off him. He yanked open the top of his shirt, waving it and wriggling around to try to shake the slush that had been scooped up with his hoodie out of his tank and down his pant legs. By the time he finished his dance, he saw Edge had slapped a hand over his own face and was shaking his head.

"Just put your clothes back on, you idiot," he told Stretch, his cheekbones having gone from pale pink to a strong red by this point.

"It's only a hoodie," Stretch told him, shaking out the snow, "it's not like I did a striptease in front of you."

The strangled sound of an inebriated goose tore itself from Edge before he began berating Stretch in a very loud, far less deadly tone than he had moments before. From the verbal lashing he was giving Stretch, the monster sounded as scandalized as if Stretch had suggested their brothers set up a stripper pole in Edge's living room and start charging admission.

Stretch just shrugged and donned his hoodie again. "Okay, I'm 'decent' again," he said, trying to hold back a laugh at Edge's utter indignation, "you can calm down now."

"What is the matter with you?" Edge said, rubbing his hands over his face. "You don't just...just...do that!"

"Do what? Take off my hoodie so you don't mess it up?"

"YES!"

"Well, why not?" 

Edge waved his hands around, gesticulating wildly without being able to form a coherent sentence for a solid three minutes. Finally, he closed his eyes and hissed out a low, exasperated breath. "I...just...ugh! You're an idiot! A complete and total imbecile! You don't just start unnecessarily removing protective layers before a fight!"

Stretch pulled at the fabric. He really liked that hoodie, but if he really had to take a beating in it in order to try to get Edge to forgive him, he would.

"I mean, if you really want to hit me while I'm wearing it, then-"

Edge raised his head to the sky and dramatically facepalmed with both hands. "NO! I'm not going to hit you!" he lowered his arms with a flourish, glaring (with far less vehemence) at Stretch before turning to stomp off. "There has to be a law here for hitting someone with the IQ of a bean."

Stretch just counted his lucky stars and relaxed. "I didn't think I looked that bad without it, but if all I had to do was take my hoodie off and put it back on, that might have saved an hour with Red."

The flabbergasted look on Edge's face coupled with the chugging sibilation he once heard from an old computer Undyne had unsuccessfully tried to boot up actually stung his self-esteem a little. Edge buried his head in his hands and let out a frustrated plea for strength.

"Does this mean you forgive me?"

"Yes - No! Maybe? I cannot simply forgive you right away like my brother can! I am the Great and Terrible Papyrus! I-"

"I can take my hoodie back off," Stretch offered helpfully.

"DON'T YOU DARE, YOU LEWD THING! AGH!!! I'M LEAVING YOU HERE! I HOPE YOU FREEZE!"

Edge really should have taken his hands off his eyes before stomping off toward home, as he almost immediately ran straight into a tree. Stretch stifled a laugh as he watched Edge do a sort of ninja dance to disentangle himself from the branches he had instantly sidestepped into. The guard threw up his arms and unleashed a despairing howl of frustration as he stalked off toward home.

Stretch looked down at his hoodie then back toward Edge. He didn't seem nearly as intimidating when he was acting like this. It reminded him a bit of his brother when Stretch got into the zone with a bunch of puns. He had never seen this side of the Royal Guard before, and rather than concern him, it intrigued him and made him want to see just how much more he could rile Edge up.

How ironic that only a few days ago, he was so suspicious of both Fell Brothers. Now, he had given one his blessing to date his brother, and had a irresistible urge to go and tease the other. Stretch had gone from avoiding danger to running headlong into it.

His prejudice had cost him getting to know his neighbors. But now, he was determined to find out everything he could about these two interesting additions to the Underground.

Life with them in it had suddenly gotten far, far more intriguing...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all she wrote! 
> 
> ...Literally, this is the end of the story. I had to add some very Papyrus-like reaction humor to this chapter because while I could have had Edge give Stretch a walloping like he planned, Stretch had to go and completely derail the whole thing with his hoodie. Because, really, Edge in this is just a big dork that just happened to live in a warzone most of his life. I wanted to leave things off on a happy note but not necessarily one that made Stretch do the 12 Tasks of Hercules.
> 
> See? I promised a happy ending and I gave you all one.
> 
> Anyway, I'm not sure how this story got so popular so fast (I mean, dear goodness, I started this just before Christmas and it's getting closer to 500 views every day!). But I do thank you all for tuning in and hope those of you that marked this story to come back to after the happy ending was here can breathe a sigh of relief and know there was something nice waiting for you at the end of the heavy angst.
> 
> If you enjoyed this, be sure to leave a comment! I'm still open to suggestions and I hope you will all tune back in when the podfic for this becomes available!


	14. BONUS:  Audio! (Angry Edge from Chapter 13)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BONUS MATERIAL:
> 
> Audio (Voice clip)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just really, REALLY wanted to try voicing Edge, so I chose some of the best lines from the last chapter to add here.

TUMBLR:

<https://readwithdetermination.tumblr.com/post/190379086232/spoiler-warning-i-just-really-really-wanted-to>

YOUTUBE: 


End file.
